


A Kind of Magic

by QueenOfAllCorgis



Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)
Genre: Discrimination, Djinn!Freddie, Dragon!John, F/M, Incubus!Roger, M/M, Paul is a warning himself right?, Pining, Slight slight slight dubcon, human!brian, supernatural creature au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-19
Updated: 2019-07-13
Packaged: 2019-11-24 13:00:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 23
Words: 41,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18165509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenOfAllCorgis/pseuds/QueenOfAllCorgis
Summary: “We’re a bit of a mix,” Brian spoke up. “I’m human. Fred is a wish granting lamp dweller-““I’m a djinn!” Freddie looked scandalized.“And Roger here is a sex goblin,” John couldn’t help the smile as Roger sputtered. “We don’t care much about your classification, but if we’re in a band together then we have to accept each other. If you don’t want to play with supernaturals then I’m afraid we’re not a good fit.”--Sometimes a family is made up of a singer who can grant wishes, a bassist who had a habit of hoarding gold, a drummer who literally needs sex to live, and a guitarist who is just trying to keep it all together.





	1. Chapter 1

It was a bit of a strange combination.

 

John fidgeted, fingers curling around the neck of his bass and waited awkwardly for the frontman of the band to give him the signal to start. While he waited he let his eyes drift across the members, taking them in.

 

Freddie, the lead singer, had an incredible energy about him. His hair was styled perfectly, lying in gentle waves around his shoulders and he was dressed in clothes that John might have thought looked ridiculous but on him it worked. The bright colors and patterns just brought the attention to him, making it hard for anyone to look away.

 

Brian, the guitarist, was the opposite. He was dressed in a simple button up shirt and didn’t seem to care much about standing out. He had a rather bored look on his face which was framed by the most spectacular curls John had ever seen.

 

Roger, the drummer, had a similar energy to Freddie but in a far more chaotic sense. His clothes were outrageous but weren’t put together with the same care that Freddie seemed to place in his style. He had his feet up on the table, sparkling pink converse on full display, and had just started on his second cigarette.

 

“John?” Brian’s soft voice startled him out of his daze, and he felt a hot blush race up the back of his neck.

 

“I’m sorry, I got lost in my own head for a bit,” he blushed further when Roger smirked, unnaturally blue eyes locked on him. “Can you repeat the question?”

 

“Of course,” Brian had a kind smile. “What are you studying?”

 

“Electronics,” John answered and then a silence stretched on. Frantically, he tried to think of something to add. “I guess I like…taking things apart? I like seeing how things work.”

 

“Very good!” Brian beamed and he felt himself relax slightly. “And…what is your classification? Are you human or supernatural?”

 

There it was, the question he had been dreading. How many other bands had turned him away the second he answered? How many people dismissed him out of hand just because of what he was? John hesitated, one hand twisting in the strap of his bass. 

 

“We’re a bit of a mix,” Brian spoke up, clearly noticing the discomfort. “I’m human. Fred is a wish granting lamp dweller-“

 

“I’m a djinn!” Freddie looked scandalized.

 

“And Roger here is a sex goblin,” John couldn’t help the smile as Roger sputtered. “We don’t care much about your classification, but if we’re in a band together then we have to accept each other. If you don’t want to play with supernaturals then I’m afraid we’re not a good fit.”

 

Half of the world’s population was made up of supernatural beings but John often felt alone. Most of them stayed to their own kind, years of being hunted before laws were put into place still left lingering distrust. Discrimination against supernaturals was still rather rampant, something John had struggled with his whole life.

 

“I’m supernatural,” he said softly. “I’m…well there’s a lot of names for it. I suppose the most traditional one is dragon?”

 

Roger’s eyes lit up, practically glowing, and he leaned forward. “You’re a dragon? I’ve never met a dragon before.”

 

“There aren’t a lot of us left,” John shrugged. He knew that they were now searching for the signs on her person. If they looked hard enough they would see his slitted pupils and the greenish scales that climbed up his neck from the collar of his shirt.

 

“Have you fought knights? Do you have a secret treasure? Can you breathe fire?” Roger asked quickly, grin growing with each question.

 

“Stop teasing him you wanker,” Brian reached a hand up and smacked the blond on the back of the head getting a grumble and a glare in response.

 

“Well, if you’re ready to play please go ahead darling,” Freddie waved his hand, ignoring the actions of the other two, and John took a deep breath.

 

He plucked out a rhythm that he had been playing around with, quickly getting into it. Playing felt so natural, almost like flying. His fingers flew across the strings and his body moved with the beat. When he finished he let his hand fall to the side and flushed at the applause.

 

“Best one we’ve heard yet,” Brian praised.

 

Roger nodded quickly, a wide grin across his handsome face. “At least you can keep rhythm! You have no idea how impossible it is to drum with an inconsistent bassist.”

 

“John dear, would you mind terribly stepping out for a minute while we discuss?” Freddie asked and John nodded, slipping out of the practice room.

 

He sucked in a deep breath and leaned against the closed door, shutting his eyes tightly. It had taken a lot of courage to even come an audition but now he wanted this so badly. He wanted to be a part of something where he wasn’t judged by what he was. He wanted to belong.

 

The door opened and he scrambled to stand up properly, craning his neck a bit to meet Brian’s eyes. “Come on back in.”

 

The other men were grinning when he stepped back into the room and his chest felt a bit tight. Freddie cleared his throat and sat a bit straighter in his seat. “John, we all agree that you are spectacular. We would love for you to be a part of Queen if you want.”

 

John couldn’t do anything but nod frantically.

 

“Splendid!” Roger clapped his hands and jumped up, grabbing his coat. “Let’s go celebrate at the pub! I’m famished!”

 

Brian rolled his eyes but stood as well, neatly piling up some papers into a folder. Next to him Roger and Freddie had already gotten into a heated discussion about something related to a market stall. The taller man made his way to John and clapped a hand on his shoulder.

 

“Need help getting packed up? We can give you a lift to the pub, you can just leave your bass in my car,” John decided that he liked Brian. The man was calm and kind, a clear anchor to the energy of the other two men. They balanced out quite nicely.

 

“I should just be a second,” John gave him a smile and packed up his bass as quickly as he could. He hated keeping others waiting but none of the other members of the band seemed to care much.

 

“The bar we go to is supernatural friendly so don’t worry,” Brian patted him on the shoulder and they followed Freddie and Roger out.

 

John still felt a bit dazed. The whole thing had happened so quickly that he wasn’t even sure if his brain had quite caught up with it yet. An hour ago, he was plugging in his bass and now he was sitting at a table with his new bandmates.

 

It was surreal.

 

He sipped at his beer, trying to quell the nervous anxiety bubbling in his stomach. Both Freddie and Brian talked excitedly about upcoming gigs and opportunities. They often looked to him for input which John appreciated, already feeling welcome.

 

Roger on the other hand looked a bit ill. His already pale skin had gone a bit white and his eyes had lost their sheen. Fingers drummed on the tabletop as he moved his gaze frantically around the crowd, never lingering on one person for too long. After a few minutes he stiffened a bit and turned to them.

 

“Excuse me gents,” he slid out of the booth gracefully. “I’ll only be a minute.”

 

The blond wove through the crowd before he stopped in front of a pretty redhead. The girl stared up at him with hopeful, adoring eyes. Just a few moments later Roger took her hand and led her to the back of the pub where the bathrooms were.

 

“He works fast doesn’t he?” John said dryly, catching Brian’s gaze lingering on where Roger had vanished. The older man shook his head lightly and turned his attention back to the table.

 

“You get used to it,” he mumbled.

 

There was a hint of sadness to his statement that gave John pause. Just as he was about to ask though Brian jumped up to get another round of drinks, awkwardly pushing his way through to the bar. Freddie rolled his eyes and sighed before smiling at John.

 

“So John, tell me about you. Are you from London?”

 

That started a series of questions. Normally, John didn’t like talking about himself. He never enjoyed being the center of attention but there was something so kind and accepting about the way Freddie asked. It wasn’t just a nicety, it was because he was genuinely interested in him as a person.

 

Brian returned with drinks just moments before Roger came back as well. The blond looked completely different this time. He had a healthy glow to his skin and a new light in his eyes. It seemed like he had just drank ten cups of coffee judging by the new burst of energy.

 

“Have fun?” Freddie teased.

 

“Tons,” Roger grinned back and stretched his arms over his head. He caught John’s eye and lowered his arms. “I’m not a sex goblin by the way, that was just Brian being a dick, I’m an incubus.”

 

“Po-tay-to, po-tah-to,” Brian mumbled into his drink and Roger stuck his tongue out at him.

 

“Everyone needs energy to survive. You get yours from food and I get mine from…well, more fun outlets,” he waggled his eyebrows cartoonishly. “I don’t do the hypnotizing thing though, I think that’s kind of fucked up.”

 

“Then how do you get them to come with you?” John asked.

 

“Honey, look at me,” Roger gave him a blinding smile. “Do you really think I have to beg?”

 

“As you can tell, Roger is the most modest of us all,” Freddie interrupted, passing Roger his beer and raising his own wine glass in a toast. “But we are happy you decided to be one of us. I think we are going to do amazing things. To Queen!”

 

John clinked his glass to theirs, feeling for the first time in a long time that he belonged to something great.


	2. Chapter 2

_We would often be sorry if our wishes were granted_

_-Aesop_

 

Some days, especially on the typical cold, rainy days of London, Freddie dreamed of Zanzibar.

 

He dreamed of ancient buildings that had seen thousands of years. He dreamed of white beaches and gentle waves. He dreamed of a feeling of magic and history sizzling in the air.

 

He also dreamed of the screams of his neighbors as his family fled.

 

The revolution had happened so quickly. One moment he was just a normal teenager and the next his parents were packing up everything of importance in a few small bags. Rebels were marching from house to house and slaying everyone inside. The djinn population was targeted, and he could still remember the acrid smell of magic fizzling out around him.

 

England had its own magic. It was ancient, like Zanzibar’s, but had a different feel to it. It had taken some time to get used to the cold, grey country but now he felt at home there. Still, sometimes he thought about Zanzibar.

 

“You alright Fred?” Brian’s voice was scratchy with sleep as he walked into the kitchen, pouring himself a cup of coffee. “You looked awfully lost in thought.”

 

“Do you ever regret being human?” Freddie asked and Brian’s eyebrows went practically into his hair.

 

“I never really had much of a choice…so no?”

 

Freddie rolled his eyes and waved his hand. “No darling, I mean do you ever wish you were something else?”

 

Brian seemed to think about the question, staring down into his coffee. “Not really. I could always find something to turn me, a vampire or werewolf or…but I like being boring old me.”

 

“I think I’d like being human,” Freddie mused.

 

“Probably a better conversation with Rog seeing as he was human once,” Brian pointed out and Freddie shuddered. _That_ was something he knew not to bring up around the blond. “I suppose there are pros and cons of both though. Sometimes I think I’d like to do what you can do.”

 

“Wishes come with a price dear, magic is not something to fool around with,” Freddie warned.

 

“But…sometimes that’s worth the risk…right?” Brian looked at him, slightly pleadingly.

 

“I…I can’t make someone fall in love with you, no matter how much you may love him,” Freddie said softly, heart breaking when Brian’s head dropped. “It’s all smoke and mirrors. Feelings and emotions can be manipulated but love is a magic too powerful to be altered.”

 

“I get it,” Brian grumbled.

 

Freddie stood and cross the tiny kitchen, lifting Brian’s chin with a finger. “If I could I would help. We’re all slaves to our nature. He can’t change his and it would break your heart.”

 

Brian’s gaze dropped again, and Freddie felt his own chest tighten. He had known Brian for years and knew what a kind, generous person he was. In another life he and Roger could maybe be happy. There were many times when Freddie caught the blond watching Brian, so he knew the feelings weren’t entirely one sided.

 

But then Roger would slip into a pub restroom or an alley with a giggling girl or a handsome boy and Brian’s heart would break all over again.

 

The taller man seemed to come to his senses, sniffing and straightening up a bit. He stepped back away from Freddie and turned to pour out his now cold coffee into the sink. “Do you think we’re ready for our gig tonight?”

 

A thrill of excitement went right from the top of Freddie’s head to his toes. It was their first gig as a full band and he couldn’t wait. The addition of John really cemented Queen in his mind, making his dream a tangible thing.

 

“Oh, we are,” he grinned, finally getting a smile from Brian. “We are going to be just glorious.”

 

“What’s glorious?” Roger asked as he walked into the kitchen, boxers hanging low on his hipbones and chest bare. Instantly, Brian blushed and returned his gaze to his feet.

 

“Why you are darling!” Freddie stepped forward to pinch his cheek and the incubus batted his hand away, rolling his eyes. “And the rest of us.”

 

Blue eyes lit up and a wide smile spread across his face. Even though incubi only affected humans Freddie was still awestruck by him sometimes. It wasn’t fair for someone to be so unearthly beautiful. He understood why Brian was drawn by him.

 

“Well of course,” Roger chuckled and tossed two pieces of bread in the toaster.

 

It was nice, this companionable banter back and forth. Freddie had never had a brother, but this was what it had to be like. These were people who would never judge him or ask him for anything he couldn’t give. It was a magic all its own.

 

Then John stumbled into the kitchen, eyes blinking drowsily. He didn’t even say a word, just went right for the coffee. Steam curled into the air as he took a long drink, closing his eyes contentedly.

 

“I’m still not quite used to it,” Roger said around a mouthful of toast with far too much jam smeared on it. “I want to shout that it is too damn hot and that you’re going to burn from the inside out but then I remember.”

 

John raised an eyebrow, pursed his lips and blew a stream of steam right at Roger who jumped backwards. The blond grumbled about making his hair frizz and stuck his tongue out childishly.

 

“Perhaps I could burn off a few of those split ends for you,” John teased, and Roger gasped, hands flying to his hair. Of course, his hair looked perfect, not a split end in sight, but the horrified look on his face was enough to send Brian and Freddie into peals of laughter.

 

“Mark my words,” Roger pointed an accusing finger at them all. “John is not what he seems. You think he’s all sweet and innocent but he’s a literal firecracker.”

 

Freddie rolled his eyes and grabbed the other piece of toast out of the toaster. “Stop being so dramatic.”

 

They finished the rest of their breakfast in relative peace. Roger vanished into his room for a bit before reappearing in tight jeans and a colorful top, trying to put boots on as he walked and failing miserably.

 

“I’m going to get ready for the show tonight,” he called out. “But I’ll be there at seven to help set up. Ta!”

 

The door shut behind him and John turned to the other two in confusion. “What the hell does he mean he has to get ready for the show?”

 

“He’s got to feed,” Freddie answered. “Preforming takes a lot of energy and he’ll fall apart if he’s gone too long without it. Roger always feeds before a gig, gives him what he needs to be his best.”

 

“Oh,” John glanced at the shut door. “What…does feeding entail?”

 

Brian cleared his throat a bit and turned to start cleaning up the counter, clearly just trying to find something to occupy his hands. Freddie smiled at him sympathetically and then turned back to John. “Incubi feed off sexual energy. That doesn’t mean full on penetrative sex though. It could be anything that creates arousal and release. Roger could probably explain it better.”

 

A red blush lit up John’s cheeks. “No, I think that’s fine.”

 

“Good choice, Roger would go into far too much detail. Just don’t think about it too much,” Freddie patted him on the shoulder, squeezing lightly. “Think about the show tonight instead.”

 

The pub they played in was packed. Like he had promised, Roger showed up right on time, looking refreshed and energetic, and he excitedly scanned the crowd. Freddie understood though, there was a certain rush that came from preforming in front of a crowd.

 

It felt like everything clicked into place when they started playing. Roger’s drumming was perfectly on time with John’s strong rhythm and Brian’s guitar practically sang next to him. It wasn’t hard for Freddie to get lost in the music, moving about the stage like he owned it.

 

It wasn’t customary, in fact most popular bands didn’t have supernatural beings and if they did they hid it, but Freddie liked to put a bit of magic in his preforming. Djinn were creatures of smoke and shadows and he manipulated them well. Shadowy dancers leapt across the stage before turning into nothingness and the lights would dim or brighten depending on the song. He knew how to create a hypnotizing spectacle with himself as the center of focus.

 

The others didn’t hide their true selves either. John’s bass strings were smoking where he strummed them, and a faint glow peeked out of the v of his partially unbuttoned shirt. Behind him, Roger worked the crowd the best he could. His blue eyes had an unnatural light to them, like he was lit from within and it was difficult to look away from him.

 

Even Brian, the only human in the group, came across as something magical. His fingers flew across the strings in such a way that Freddie suspected he was hiding something from them, but he knew it was just true talent.

 

They were amazing.

 

They were magical.

 

They were Queen.

 

The show ended and the crowd burst into applause, cheering for them. Freddie grinned into the sea of people, trying to catch his breath. This was what he had wished for all his life. He had wished for a chance to show the world that he was more that what they thought he was. He had wished he could share his passion for music with as many people as he could.

 

Perhaps wishes did come true.

 

They stepped off the stage, smiling and nodding as the manager complimented them enthusiastically. A gaggle of girls instantly swarmed Roger who smiled brightly at them and Brian slipped off to the bar. Freddie turned to the other member of their group and saw John scowling down at his bass.

 

“Whatever is the matter? You just played like a god, you should be thrilled!” He shouted over the noise.

 

John gave him a look and Freddie looked down at the neck of the bass. The neck itself had a few char marks on it but the metal strings were actually glowing red from the heat.

 

“It makes them brittle. I’m going to have to restring it,” John sighed. “I guess I got too into it.”

 

“Oh sweetie, I pity any girl you are with if that is you getting too into it,” he laughed at the bright blush that spread across John’s cheeks. “Talk about a burning bush.”

 

“Actually shut up!” John sputtered but then he grinned as well. “You’re disgusting.”

 

Freddie was suddenly struck by how beautiful the younger man was when he smiled. His eyes scrunched a bit and the sharp points of his canines flashed. It was like he would forget himself for a moment and just let go.

 

Wishes could be dangerous but in that moment Freddie wished that he could keep making John smile like that.


	3. Chapter 3

_Everything in the world is about sex except sex. Sex is about power._

_-Oscar Wilde_

Roger didn’t like to think of himself as a predator but that was what he was.

 

His eyes scanned through the bar and took in the crowd. It was a Tuesday night so the pickings were quite slim, but he couldn’t wait much longer. His hands had begun to tremble, and a yawning _emptiness_ tore at his middle.

 

There was the group of badly intoxicated uni girls. He’d have to pass on them. They couldn’t consent even if they wanted to and too much alcohol left him feeling sick.

 

There was a sad middle-aged man but that made his skin crawl a bit. He would be a last resort.

 

And there was a man a few years older than him in a suit, sipping at a beer after what had to be a long day.

 

Perfect.

 

Roger pulled his shoulders back and walked towards the man with an air of confidence he had perfected over the years. A wide smile was fixed on his face and he slid into the stool, catching the man’s attention. He saw the usual dilation of pupils and spark of interest.

 

“Hi,” he said brightly, and the man leaned forward. “My name is Roger.”

 

“David,” the man held out his hand and Roger shook it lightly.

 

“Well David, I’m going to be very blunt. I am an incubus,” Roger pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and handed the man his identification card. “And I am wondering if you would like to help me out. Please know that I take no for an answer.”

 

The man stared down at the card for a few long minutes, mouth open slightly. Even though Roger didn’t use any of his abilities he knew the man was still a bit spellbound by him. It wasn’t something he could help.

 

“Help you out?” David looked up at him with wide eyes.

 

“To put it crudely I want to get you off. Hand job, blowjob, whatever you’d like,” Roger waved his hand a bit. “I get what I need, and you get to feel good.”

 

“Yeah,” David nodded frantically, leaning a bit closer to Roger. “That sounds awesome.”

 

“Fantastic!” Roger beamed, stood up, and held out a hand.

 

David crowded back against him, a bit too eager for Roger and they stumbled into the bathroom. The older man’s hands were all over him, touching at his hips and sides. These overexcited types weren’t exactly his favorite but beggers can’t be choosers.

 

“Alright,” Roger pushed him away slightly. “What do you want?”

 

“Your mouth,” David panted out. Roger nodded, instantly regretting wearing his nicer jeans as he dropped to the floor. The older man gripped his hair a bit too hard. “Fuck…fuck you’re pretty.”

 

Roger gave him a tight smile and reached up to the waistband of his pants before he caught sight of David’s left hand. A thin band made him pause and he let out a long sigh, getting back up to his knees ignoring weak protests.

 

“I don’t do this with married people,” he said simply, and then grimaced when he also saw a badly cleaned stain on the shoulder of his jacket. “Or new fathers. You gotta get that jacket dry cleaned. Baby spit up is a bitch to get out.”

 

He took a few steps towards the door and David grabbed his wrist in desperation.

 

Roger sighed and then turned to the other man, staring into his eyes until David’s brown eyes flashed the same color blue as his. “Let. Me. Go.”

 

Without another word, David’s face went slack and he dropped his wrist. He didn’t follow as Roger walked back out the door. Time to repeat the dance in another bar.

 

Unfortunately, the later the night went on the more people drank. The best he could do was find a tispy girl who he made fall apart at his fingertips. With every sigh and gasp that hunger lessened. He finally felt like he was able to breathe again when the girl let out a shriek and pulled back, panting.

 

“Thank you,” he smiled and gave her a little peck on the lips. “You’re probably going to feel a little tired and drained, maybe even dizzy. Get some food and go to sleep, okay?”

 

“Okay,” she nodded slightly.

 

“And take this,” he pulled another card out of his wallet, sliding it into the back of her jeans. “Give them a call if anything feels weird tomorrow or if something goes wrong, okay?”

 

She nodded, still looking a little dazed. He gave her another quick kiss and then slipped out of the bathroom, giving an awkward smile at the line of women waiting. He heard the mumbles but shrugged them off and started his walk home.

 

A few steps away from the flat and he was suddenly overcome by dizziness. Roger stumbled and his hand shot out to catch himself on the rough stone wall. He sucked in a deep breath, nausea making his stomach twist. Making it the rest of the way up to their flat was a challenge in of itself and he practically threw open the door in his mad rush to the bathroom.

 

Thankfully, he made it to the toilet before he heaved everything in his stomach up. The stomach acid burned painfully, and tears pricked at his eyes as he gripped the sides of the toilet bowl.

 

“Here,” he jumped at the sudden voice and turned reddened eyes up to see Brian standing over him, glass of water in his hand. The human gave him a sheepish smile and shrugged. “I heard you throwing up, thought you might need it.”

 

Roger took the glass and sipped lightly. “Thanks…did I wake you?”

 

Brian shook his head and hopped up on the counter. “Nah, I was already awake.”

 

“Reading your space books?” Roger finished the glass of water and handed it back to Brian, leaning back with his head lightly hitting the wall.

 

Brian just smiled and shook his head. “No...just couldn’t sleep. Did you eat something funny? I bet it was that weird cheese Deaky used on the cheese toast he made.”

 

“It was some girl I fed on…she must have taken some kind of drug or something,” he winced as his stomach churned again. Brian nodded, looking down at his feet dangling down.

 

“Well, you shouldn’t go feeding on random strangers,” Roger let his eyes slide closed at that. He knew the unspoken suggestion in that. He played dumb but he knew exactly how Brian felt about him.

 

“It’ll pass,” he said airily.

 

Brian nodded and the words lingered in the air like smoke. They seemed to climb down Roger’s throat and threatened to strangle him. All he wanted to do was let himself fall into Brian. He wanted the older man to hold him and kiss him. He wanted to say the words that twisted in his head over and over.

 

But, he couldn’t.

 

He couldn’t drain Brian’s energy to replenish his own. He couldn’t take more and more from him until there was nothing else. He couldn’t see the heartbreak in Brian’s eyes when he was forced to feed on others.

 

“I-“

 

“Thank you for the water,” he whispered. “You’re always looking out for me.”

 

 

He opened his eyes and saw Brian’s soft smile. “I wouldn’t have to if you didn’t get into so much trouble.”

 

That got a real smile from Roger and he laughed. Maybe he couldn’t have Brian like he wanted but he would take what he could get.

 

As soon as he the nausea had faded to just a faint discomfort, he pushed himself to his feet, still feeling a bit dizzy. Brian hopped off the counter and steadied him. Roger blinked a few times to clear his vision and gave the older man a smile.

 

“I’m going to go to sleep, you should too,” he said softly. “Hopefully we didn’t make any noise. You know what a monster John is if you wake him up.”

 

“Let sleeping dragons lie,” Brian said teasingly and got an eyeroll in response.

 

“No space books, got it? Go right to bed,” Roger said warningly, fixing Brian with a mock glare until he nodded. “Right, night Brian.”

 

He heard the echoing ‘goodnight’ and crossed the hall to his own room. The door shut quietly and he dropped onto his bed with a huff, staring up at the mottled ceiling.

 

Out of nowhere sobs overcame him. Roger curled up in his bed and cried desperately into his hands. It felt like he would actually shake apart, like he could come apart at the seams. It wasn’t fair, this curse that had been forced upon him. It wasn’t fucking fair.

 

When he could finally breathe again he pulled his hands from his face. Silver, glittering tears stained his hands, reminding him again how inhuman he was.

 

It wasn’t fair.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: racist and homophobic remarks

_Don’t fashion me into a maiden that needs saving from a dragon. I am the dragon, and I will eat you whole._

_-Unknown_

John had only flown a few times in his life.

 

Growing up he had heard all the stories. He had heard of the Bisterne Dragon who had terrorized villages and was eventually slain and turned into a hill. He had heard of Blue Ben who apparently was the devil’s own steed. The Lambton Worm (and wasn’t that degrading) would eat children until it was killed by a knight during the crusades.

 

He had heard all the stories and all the stories ended the same. The dragons were killed by a heroic knight and the knight was heralded as a hero while the dragon stayed the villain. There weren’t any tales of dragons being the hero and that was an important part his parents had told him.

 

People still saw dragons as dangerous. People still wanted to be heroes.

 

So, his parents told him to keep his human skin on and blend as much as he could into the modern world. The only times he had ever allowed himself to show his true form was when he was deep in the woods, only the moon giving him light. It was a chance he wasn’t going to get in London which left him feeling a bit off. It was like his skin was almost too tight.

 

But it was easier to forget feeling off when he was with his friends.

 

That’s what they were at this point, his friends. He liked Brian’s quiet conversations, the way he would get so excited about his studies or music. He liked Roger’s enthusiasm, the way he looked at everything with such passion. He…loved Freddie’s outlook on life. He loved the way the djinn gave his all to help his friends and make them happy. They were a family at this point.

 

And family looked out for each other.

 

He was two beers in when he saw a few large men practically circling Freddie. The frontman’s eyes were narrowed and he held his head up high but there was a faint fear there. He watched as one man motioned towards the swirling tattoos on Freddie’s arms and then he actually put his hand on him.

 

Fury made John’s blood run hot and he moved towards him with a speed he didn’t know he was capable of. Dark eyes flicked up to meet his and Freddie looked surprised. The men turned to look at him and hesitated, something John wasn’t used to.

 

“What’s the problem here?” His voice came out gruff.

 

“Walk along mate,” the man, a human by the look of him, waved his hand. “Just letting this Paki know that he isn’t welcome in this bar.”

 

Heat flooded John’s chest and he felt himself bare his teeth. He felt the telltale prickle of pain at his back, where his wings normally rested, and had to rein himself in. “Seems as if he’s just minding his own business. Why don’t you do the same?”

 

Of course, the man was too intoxicated to recognize that he was out of his element.

 

“It’s fine John,” Freddie’s voice was smooth and too calm. “We’ll just go.”

 

“That’s right, go back to where you came from,” the man slurred and he could see the way Freddie’s fists clenched, tendrils of smoke and shadow drifting from them. “You and your faggot boyfriend.”

 

He reached out to push Freddie’s shoulder and John moved faster than either of them expected. His hand gripped the man’s forearm, nails elongated into claws. The man yelped and finally looked at John, fear flashing on his face.

 

“Get the fuck off of him!” The man’s friend shoved John aside. The shouts of security made them all settle down and Freddie placed a hand on his shoulder, squeezing lightly.

 

“You two need to leave,” one of the security guards pointed at both Freddie and John, glaring darkly at them. “Get out.”

 

“Us! They started this!” John snapped back, pointing at the men.

 

“Let’s just go John,” Freddie pulled on his shoulder again, giving the other group a dark look, and the fight drained out of John. He understood that seeing two supernaturals, one grabbing and potentially hurting a human had to look bad. He turned on his heel and stormed towards the exit, followed closely by Freddie.

 

“What the hell is going on?” Brian frowned when they both rushed past, putting his drink down and waving down Roger who came bouncing over.

 

“John got into a fight for me,” Freddie sounded almost giddy. “We’re getting kicked out.”

 

Roger’s musical laughter followed them outside into the chilly air. As soon as he was able to gulp in some fresh air John felt his heart rate settle down a bit. He slumped back against the wall of the building, feeling his face now burning in embarrassment.

 

“You should have seen him!” Freddie bounced from foot to foot, eyes and grin bright. “John, my personal hero, coming in to save me from the big bad monsters!”

 

He jumped forward and planted a sloppy kiss on John’s cheek which made him blush further, pulling his shoulders up practically to his ears. Brian and Roger shot each other a look, eyebrows raised in amusement.

 

“Look at this Deaky in front of you. You see the sweet, darling boy we all know and love,” Freddie laughed and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “But when he is angry, oh boy he turns into the most fascinating creature. Fire in his eyes, a glow in his chest, smoke in his lungs, and all teeth and claws. Christ, we should write a song about it!”

 

“See Fred, you were so worried about Deaks being out an about with us. He can most definitely take care of himself,” Roger teased, and they started walking down the sidewalk towards their flat.

 

It was a strange feeling being the center of attention. John was used to being in the background, holding on to those fears that his family had instilled in him. But here, he wasn’t in danger. He had his friends around him and they would protect him.

 

And he could help protect them.

 

It was empowering and when Freddie beamed at him, like he was the glittering hero in all those stories, it felt like he was soaring above the clouds.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: Dub-con (Roger has to feed)
> 
> This chapter kind of broke my heart to write. I promise things will work out no matter how hard that might seem. It'll all make sense soon but both Roger and Brian are really, really struggling.

_All human eyes have longing in them._

_-Ernesto Cardenal_

“You have no idea where we’re going do you?” Brian grit his teeth at the teasing in Freddie’s voice.

 

“I might if we weren’t driving through a bloody monsoon,” he growled back.

 

They had driven almost two and a half hours to a gig and made the stupid decision to drive back that night. A light sprinkling of rain turned into a torrential downpour, nearly washing out the roads and causing anxiety for everyone in the van.

 

John leaned in between the driver’s seat and passenger’s seat, pointing at a barely visible sign. “Look! A little inn, let’s just get a couple of rooms and wait out the storm. It’ll be better than crashing and drowning.”

 

For a moment, Brian hesitated. To get a couple of rooms in an inn would take a chunk out of the earning they had just made but the rain had gotten so bad he could hardly see right in front of him. “Ugh, fine.”

 

“Wait? What?” Roger jerked forward, having sat quietly in the back with John. “No…we can keep going!”

 

“Oh come on Roger, look at the road. Let’s just pull over and rest. It’s past eleven and Brian is either going to fall asleep at the wheel, get washed off the road, or both,” John argued. As much as Brian wanted to say that he was fine he knew that their youngest member was right.

 

Maybe he should have realized that something was up with Roger when he didn’t even try to fight about it.

 

The inn was small and a bit old. It was just off the main road, cheerful lights in the window despite the late hour and Brian pulled their ancient van into a parking spot. The four of them made a mad dash to the front door and piled in, trembling.

 

“Why hello!” A girl perked up as they came in out of the freezing rain. Brian could tell instantly that she wasn’t human. She had to be fae judging by the pointed ears and thin wings fluttering behind her. “How can I help you?”

 

“Please tell me you have two rooms available,” Freddie gave her a winning smile and she quickly flipped through a book at the counter. “Just for the night dear.”

 

“We do,” the fae looked up at them with a grin. “Two rooms with two twin beds in each. Would you like to stay with us?”

 

“Please,” Freddie pulled the wad of cash they earned from the gig earlier and counted out a few bills, wincing as their earnings got a bit smaller. “And we-“

 

“Is there a bar nearby?” Roger interrupted. “Or a club or something?”

 

The fae fixed him with a long stare. “No, I’m afraid not. It’s basically just us. My family’s ancestral home is the forest right behind us and nothing else was built up except for this inn.”

 

Roger’s shoulders slumped and Brian realized what the problem had been. They had been working so hard preparing for their gig and he hadn’t seen Roger go off to feed like normally. How long had it even been? Roger looked strung out and nervous, hands trembling and jaw tight.

 

“Right then, so me and Fred, and Brian and John?” He said shortly, snatching up his key and hurrying up the stairs to the rooms. Brian was used to Roger being short and sharp with him, but this was different. He almost seemed like he couldn’t get away from Brian fast enough.

 

John pushed open their door and hummed in appreciation of the room. It was quite well decorated and cozy looking. Clearly the owners took pride in the inn and enjoyed taking care of it. They both flopped down on the beds and Brian groaned at the plush mattress.

 

“You know John, this was a wonderful idea,” he sighed. “I had no idea how fucking tired I was until right now.”

 

In just moments he was fast asleep.

 

\--

 

“Psst, Brian,” he slowly blinked away, trying to claw out of the heavy blanket of sleep. After a few attempts he was finally able to get his attention focused on Freddie leaning in far too close. “You awake?”

 

“I am now,” he grumbled, pushing himself up on his elbow. “What’s the matter?”

 

The clock next to him read three in the morning. Brian furrowed his brow in confusion and looked over to see John sitting on the edge of the bed looking nervous. That was enough to wake Brian up fully and he looked around for their drummer.

 

“Where’s Rog?”

 

Freddie looked at John for a moment before shuffling his feet. “So…Roger hasn’t fed in over two weeks. He’s in quite a bit of pain right now and…simply put, he needs to feed.”

 

“Okay…”

 

“And you’re literally the only human here,” Freddie continued, and realization struck Brian like lightning. Incubi couldn’t feed on supernatural beings. He was the only choice that Roger had. “He asked if I would come talk to you. He didn’t want to influence you in anyway and he said he would understand if you didn’t want to. It would be completely fine.”

 

Brian’s head was spinning. It was like the twisted version of his greatest fantasy and that made Brian feel a bit sick. “He can’t wait until we get home?”

 

“I’ve never seen him this bad,” Freddie hesitated, shifting a bit. “And I know if it gets any worse he might not be able to control himself. He would never forgive himself for that.”

 

No, he wouldn’t.

 

“Okay,” Brian stood up, wiping his now sweaty hands on his jeans. “Do I just…go in?”

 

“You know what he needs right Brian?” Freddie stepped in front of him, looking more anxious than Brian had ever seen him.

 

“Yeah,” Brian swallowed around the tightness in his throat.

 

Without another word, Brian stepped out of the room and knocked on the next room’s door. There was a beat of silence before the door opened and his breath was stolen away.

 

Brian had never seen Roger like this. The incubus was white as paper, looking almost like a porcelain doll. His eyes were no longer their normal blue. Instead, they had turned the brightest silver Brian had ever seen and absolutely captivated him.

 

“Hi,” Roger breathed and Brian’s entire body shuddered. It was like his voice was physically pulling him in and he stumbled forward a bit, steadied by Roger’s burning hand on his chest. “Fred talked to you.”

 

“Yeah,” he nodded slightly.

 

“And you’re consenting?” Behind the pure _hunger_ there was worry. “Brian, you have to consent okay?”

 

“I’m consenting. I want…I want to help,” he whispered, and Roger gave him a sad smile before pulling him in by twisting a hand in his shirt.

 

The door closed and Brian felt like all the oxygen was sucked out of the room. There was a beautiful horror to Roger. He was by far the most gorgeous creature Brian had ever seen but there was an inhumanness to him that made him pause.

 

“Okay,” Roger raked his fingers through his hair. “I just…fuck…I-“

 

“Take what you need,” Brian stepped forward and placed his hands on Roger’s hips, wanting to show the younger man that he wasn’t afraid.

 

Roger stared at him for a long moment before standing slightly on his tiptoes and pressing their lips together. It wasn’t like any kiss Brian had ever had. A sizzle of electricity made his fingertips tingle and he pulled Roger closer, desperate to get more. Roger let out a long sigh and tipped his head back, deepening the kiss and causing Brian to slip further into a daze.

 

The incubus pulled back and licked at his lips, making Brian try to chase after him. Roger shushed him softly and stepped forward, making Brian back up until he fell back on the bed with a gasp. He managed to push himself up on his elbows and watched in awe as Roger slid gracefully to his knees.

 

“It’s okay,” Roger reached up to open his jeans. “I promise it’ll be okay.”

 

Then he pulled out his hard and leaking cock and sucked it into his mouth. Brian’s head fell back with a long groan and he felt Roger shudder. It was the single most amazing thing he had ever felt. It felt like actual nirvana and he never, ever wanted it to end. His hands reached down to weakly pet at Roger’s hair but he couldn’t stop his body from jerking in pleasure.

 

“Fuck, fuck Roger,” his voice came out in a whine. “Oh God, that feels fucking amazing. Christ…”

 

Roger’s mouth moved even further down, actually taking his cock deep into his throat and Brian cried out hoarsely. His head swam and his eyes went out of focus. For a moment he was actually scared that he was going to faint.

 

Then, without warning, he came so hard his world turned white.

 

“Bri?” He stared hazily up at the ceiling, eyes fluttering as he came back into his own body. Everything felt heavy and loose. “Brian, talk to me.”

 

It seemed to take too long to get his own neck to respond to his brain but he slowly turned to face Roger. Again, his breath hitched. The blond looked incredible, like he had come back to life in the most beautiful way.

 

“Hey,” he breathed out.

 

“Are you okay? How are you feeling?” Roger looked beyond worried.

 

“I’m…I’m good,” he sighed but that didn’t take away any worry from Roger’s gaze. “I feel heavy but…fuck, that was good.”

 

Roger sagged against the headboard, looking a bit relieved. He then sunk down and pressed a chaste kiss against Brian’s cheekbone. “Thank you Bri.”

 

Without another thought, Brian reached up to tangle his hand in his hair and pulled him to his mouth. He was able to enjoy the kiss for a split second before Roger leaned back and patted his chest. He looked so sad and all Brian’s addled brain wanted to do was made him smile again.

 

“We’re not going to do that,” Roger whispered. “But thank you for what you did. I don’t know how much longer I could have gone.”

 

“I’d do anything for you,” Brian felt tears prick at the corners of his eyes. “Roger, I-“

 

“I know what you’re feeling. It’s part of the feeding process,” Roger sat up, facing away from him. “You don’t really feel that way and that’s alright. You just need to sleep it off.”

 

“No, I-“

 

“Go to sleep Bri,” Roger stood up and straightened out his clothes. “I’ll go sleep with Deaky and send Freddie in.”

 

Brian couldn’t do anything but watch as he left the room, leaving it feeling cold and empty. Just moments later Freddie stepped in. His eyes went instantly sad and he sighed, sitting on the bed next to him.

 

“Oh Brian,” he whispered, combing his fingers through curly hair. Emotions overwhelmed him and Brian choked on a sob. He curled up slightly, pressing his face into Freddie’s thigh. “It’s alright darling. You’re alright.”

 

“He just left,” Brian whimpered, body aching with the force of his shudders.

 

“I know,” Freddie kept petting his hair, looking down at him sadly. “You know how much he cares for you, but you also know that he’s scared. He doesn’t want to hurt you. This was the last thing he wanted.”

 

Brian nodded miserably. Part of him knew that the feeling of abandonment was caused by the feeding. Incubi caused a longing as a side effect of feeding, a desire that kept victims returning. The rest of him knew that he had fallen too hard and too fast.

 

“Can you make me sleep Fred? Just make me sleep,” he asked quietly and the djinn nodded. Freddie’s eyes glowed amber and he held his hand over his eyes. The last thing Brian saw before he fell asleep was wisps of smoke dancing around Freddie’s fingers.

 

\--

 

The next day in the van was spent in terribly uncomfortable silence.

 

Roger sat in the very far back of the van, staring resolutely out of the window and avoiding any eye contact. This time John drove as Brian still felt a bit dizzy, but no one spoke. It was awkward and the tension was palpable, stretching out until they parked outside their flat.

 

Just like before, Roger practically fled the van as soon as it stopped. The other three followed much slower and Brian’s heart dropped when he saw Roger’s door shut.

 

“I’m going to talk to him,” Brian decided out loud, taking a deep breath to steel himself.

 

“Maybe give him some time,” John suggested quietly but Brian’s mind was made up. He crossed the room quickly and knocked once before pushing open the door.

 

Roger sat on his windowsill, fresh cigarette in his fingers. He raised his eyebrows at Brian but didn’t say anything as he took in a drag. The blond turned his attention back to the crappy view from their window and his mouth tightened when Brian shut the door behind him.

 

“We need to talk,” Brian tried to keep his voice steady.

 

“It wasn’t anything Brian. It was like…I dunno…you gave me half of your sandwich or something. I appreciate it but we don’t need to talk about it anymore,” Roger let out a long breath of smoke.

 

Brian crossed his arms over his chest. “It wasn’t nothing.”

 

Finally, Roger turned to look at him. His eyes were sharp and cold as he flicked the cigarette out of the window. “What do you want me to say Brian?”

 

And this was it.

 

He was going to tell him everything.

 

He couldn’t do this anymore.

 

“I want you to say that I wasn’t just one of those girls or boys you pick up in a club,” Brian snapped.

 

It looked like Roger’s heart actually broke. “Fuck. I…of course not Brian. You are my best friend, I care so much about you. If I had any other choice, I wouldn’t have done that to you. It’s confusing you and making you think things that aren’t true.”

 

“I’ve had feelings for you forever Roger,” Brian practically shouted, making Roger flinch. “You know that. I know you know that. Don’t belittle that, I deserve more than that.”

 

“You do deserve more. That’s why this can’t happen,” slight hope flared in Brian’s chest. Roger didn’t say anything about not having feelings as well. He could have easily denied everything and pushed him out, but he didn’t.

 

Brian took a few steps closer, almost desperate to break through Roger’s stubbornness. “We both care about each other. This isn’t about the feeding, it’s about the fact that I can’t keep lying to myself and you. I’ll do whatever it takes, I’m make any sacrifice to be with you.”

 

Roger stared at the floor and Brian watched as a few silver tears dotted the worn wood. He looked up, streaks of silver on his cheeks.

 

“I can’t ask that of you. I have needs Brian, it’s part of the monster that I am. I can’t help it and I can’t stop it. I can’t watch you whither away as I take more and more energy from you,” his voice came out cracked and weak. “You’re human and humans are weak.”

 

“I…I can turn,” Brian gasped out and Roger shook his head. “I can apply for a turn through a werewolf or vampire. Then you won’t risk hurting me.”

 

“Physically! I wouldn’t hurt you physically! I won’t be able to feed from you then!” Roger’s voice rose. “And you would be a monster who had to watch me go out and take from strangers.”

 

“Then turn me into one of you,” Brian felt hysterical. The sadness turned to disbelief and then to pure anger.

 

“You want to be like me?” Roger took a few steps back, face twisting into a snarl. “You want to use people in the worst way possible? You want to be nothing more than a slave to your nature?”

 

“We could feed together.”

 

“Fuck you!” Roger spat, hands tightening into fists. “This isn’t some romantic fantasy! It’s not like going out on a date to get dinner. You take people, feel that they lust after you like you are nothing more than a face and a body, and then walk away. It satisfies a craving, but you feel fucking empty.”

 

“Rog-“

 

“And how fucking dare you ask me to turn you,” Roger was trembling with rage. “You have no fucking idea what you’re asking me to do.”

 

Brian’s shoulders fell and he took in a shaky breath. “I don’t know what to do any more Roger. I know you had to do what you did, and I wish I could just walk away from it, but I can’t. I can’t ignore my feelings anymore.”

 

“We can’t,” Roger whispered, shaking his head. The anger faded a bit and he rubbed at his face tiredly. “Brian, you have no idea how much I wish we could. I couldn’t do that to you. I couldn’t hurt you like that.”

 

The taller man swallowed heavily. “Then turn me. I know what I’m asking for and I want it. I know that some incubi hunt together. That could be us, we could be together. It would be…we would be the same.”

 

“You’re not like me Brian. I would never want that,” Roger looked horrified.

 

“Roger, don’t be selfish. I-“

 

Absolute fury flashed through Roger’s eyes and he went completely stiff. His jaw tightened and his hands clenched. “Get out. Get the fuck out of my room.”

 

“Not until you hear me out,” Brian argued.

 

Roger’s eyes darkened and the stalked forward, grabbing Brian’s chin in a firm grip and forced their eyes to meet. It was like his eyes had turned to liquid mercury, only made brighter by the streaks of silver on his cheeks. Brian felt his head become blissfully empty and he stared blankly ahead.

 

“Get. Out.”

 

Brian didn’t even think about walking, his body just did it for him. His feet forced him to walk across the room and out the door, shutting it behind him. As soon as the door closed behind him it was like he had woken from a dream. He blinked a few times in disbelief.

 

Never in their years of friendship had Roger ever compelled him to do something. It felt violating and wrong, making a wave of nausea twist his stomach painfully.

 

He understood that he was asking Roger to do the impossible. Of course, he didn’t want to turn but at the moment it seemed to be the only solution. He couldn’t imagine a life where he wasn’t with Roger. He couldn’t imagine not seeing his lovely smile or listening to him ranting about music. He wanted to spend every second with him and if that meant losing a part of himself he was willing to do it.

 

Sometimes he dreamed about a world where they met when Roger was still human. They would have gone out on a few awkward dates and shared shy kisses. They would have fallen in love. They would have been happy.

 

But that wouldn’t be the case.

 

He couldn’t keep doing this. He couldn’t keep breaking his heart loving a man who couldn’t love him back. In that moment Brian made his mind up. He would move on. He would stop this and find someone he could be happy with.

 

And maybe if he told himself that enough he would actually start believing it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warnings: Rape/dubcon. Roger explains how he became an incubus and it's really not a happy story.

_“Sometimes surviving is the worst kind of pain.”_

_-Unknown_

 

“What do you think happened?” John whispered when Brian stormed back down the hallway to his own room, eyes red rimmed and jaw clenched so tight they were worried his teeth might crack.

 

Freddie followed the human with his eyes, wincing as his door slammed shut. “I think maybe letting Roger feed off Brian was a mistake.”

 

“What else could we have done?” John turned to look at him, concerned. “I saw him Freddie, he looked terrible.”

 

He grimaced at that. Roger had woken him that night in the inn, all silver eyes and horribly shaking hands. The blond had begged for him to help, asking him to go out and find someone to bring back, a whine tearing at his throat.

 

_“I can’t go Fred. I’ll…I’ll pull someone in and take everything from them. I can feel myself losing myself.”_

They had been friends for so long and Freddie had never seen him like that. In past nights, when they lay awake on their couch together after too many drinks, they had talked about their fears. Roger had whispered how scared he was of one day losing control and taking someone against their will. He dreaded the idea of falling victim to the monster inside of him. So, he had suggested Brian.

 

_“Please no, no, no, no. I can’t do that to him. Can’t you go find someone else?”_

And he had tried. He had explained the emergency to the fae at the front desk but she said that there were no other humans at the inn. There also wasn’t any major town nearby so he didn’t know if he could go and find someone in time. They didn’t really have a choice.

 

_“Tell him he can say no. If he says no, we can…tie me down or something. We can call the police and they can help. I won’t hurt him.”_

Of course, nothing could have prevented them from hurting each other.

 

“This is going to break up the band?” John asked, fidgeting slightly. Freddie could feel the temperature in the room rise slightly with John’s anxiety. “What if they refuse to play together.”

 

“That won’t happen.”

 

“Of fucking course when I join a band that’s actually going somewhere it falls apart,” the dragon grumbled, raising his eyebrows when Freddie gave him a glare. “What? Tell me they can get past that.”

 

“They can,” Freddie said simply.

 

“How do you know?” John groaned and sat down heavily on the couch. Then he frowned. “Wait…can djinn really tell the future? I heard that once.”

 

“That’s a stereotype dear,” Freddie waved his hand but smiled. “But I like to think I have a bit of that gift.”

 

“Of course you do.”

 

\--

 

They didn’t break up.

 

In fact, they managed to finish their first album.

 

The first time Freddie held their finished album in his hands it felt like an illusion he had made. He was scared that at any moment it would vanish in a puff of smoke but it stayed. It was real and solid and it was _theirs._

 

To celebrate the release of their album Freddie threw himself into throwing the wildest party he could. He rented out a pub they frequented and invited every single person they knew, even some they didn’t. This was their first step into stardom, of course they had to celebrate it.

 

The pub was completely packed, and Freddie relished in the attention. He loved the sound of his band’s music playing over the pub’s speakers. He loved the way people looked at him appreciatively. He loved the complements and well wishes.

 

He also loved the awkward way John was handling all of this.

 

The dragon had practically shrunk in on himself, shoulders pulled up to his ears. He was bright red and shifting uncomfortably at the attention. But, Freddie could see the pleased smile pulling at his lips and thought it was an incredibly good look on him.

 

“Hello rock star,” he sang out as he sidled up to John.

 

“Hello to you,” he lifted his half finished pint and chuckled when Freddie clinked his champagne glass against it. “Are you enjoying your party?”

 

“This? All of this? This is for us darling,” Freddie swept his arm in an arc, nearly hitting a girl across the face. He laughed and leaned into John, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “We are here celebrating with our _fans_. Can you believe that? We have fans!”

 

John had a wide grin on his face. It wasn’t often that the younger man smiled like that and Freddie loved it. His head was swimming slightly from the champagne and the thrill of it all. This was the moment he had always dreamed of.

 

Then he saw a glimpse of blond hair and a colorful blazer. He called out Roger’s name and grinned as their drummer spun around. The smile he got in return was brittle and fake but at least Roger was making an effort, Brian hasn’t even arrived.

 

“You look like you’re having the time of your life,” Roger walked up to them, taking a sip of his colorful drink.

 

“And you look like you’re being held here against your will,” John piped up and Roger rolled his eyes.

 

“Well, I couldn’t miss our first album release,” Roger shrugged but he didn’t dispute his claim. “Have you both seen Brian?”

 

Freddie tried not to make a face at the way Roger said Brian’s name, like he was saying a prayer. “No dear but you know Brian. He probably lost track of time in his dusty old books.”

 

It was heartbreaking to see Roger like this. His usual confidence was replaced by incredible sadness. His eyes even seemed to dim slightly. Then, just as fast, he put on that mask of a smile and lifted his chin.

 

“His fucking loss,” his voice came out sharp.

 

Freddie knew his friend was putting on an act but selfishly he couldn’t focus on it. They were here celebrating their first album. He deserved to celebrate. He deserved this.

 

They danced and drank and laughed with the guests, soaking up the praise and attention. Even John let down his guard and began to enjoy himself. It was refreshing to see their youngest member break out of his reserved shell and smile a little more.

 

Then Roger went perfectly stiff and his eyes narrowed.

 

Freddie followed his gaze, heart sinking at the sight of a familiar curly head of hair. Brian was standing by the bar, clearly a few drinks in, with his arm wrapped low on a girl’s waist. Beside him, Roger let out a small sound when the girl pressed up against Brian and whispered something in his ear that made him laugh loudly.

 

“Hey!” Brian called out when he finally met their eyes, gaze hazy with alcohol. He tugged on the girl’s hand and pulled her towards them. “What a party!”

 

“Oh yes,” Freddie felt his cheeks ache with how hard he tried to keep a smile on his face. “Who’s your friend?”

 

“This is Lydia,” Brian turned to look at her with actual stars in his eyes. “We’ve been seeing each other for…a few weeks?”

 

The girl nodded and gave them all a blinding smile. She was a true beauty with her slender figure and perfect dark waves that rested on her shoulders. “It’s just lovely to meet you all. I’ve heard all about you and your album is just amazing. Congratulations!”

 

John was the one who spoke up first, offering her a hand to shake. “It’s good to meet you Linda. It’s funny, Brian hasn’t told us anything about you.”

 

God, Freddie adored these little barbs that came out of John’s mouth. Who knew dragons could be venomous?

 

“It’s Lydia,” she didn’t seem bothered.

 

Brian also didn’t seem to notice the awkwardness of the situation. His eyes were locked on Lydia like she made the sun rise every day. Freddie would have thought she was some kind of succubus judging by the starstruck look on Brian’s face but didn’t get a sense of that kind of magic. It was a darker kind of magic.

 

“I do think it is wonderful that you are a mixed group of supernaturals and humans. It shows people that we can coexist and helps inspired supernaturals that they can succeed despite what we are,” she sounded so passionate about it.

 

“What we are?” Roger finally spoke up and Brian managed to tear his eyes away from Lydia.

 

“I’m a vampire sweetheart,” her voice was syrupy.

 

Freddie could have groaned out loud at that. Of course he was the last person who would judge someone else and he tried not to focus on stereotypes but…still, a vampire? That was the person Brian decided to shack up with?

 

“Well, it was nice to meet you Lydia. I’m going to the bar,” Roger announced a bit too loudly and spun on his heel, pushing his way to the bar.

 

The vampire gave him a nod and then gave the other two men a friendly smile. “It was so nice meeting you both. I’m afraid I’ve got to take this giant home before he falls on his face.”

 

And it looked like he would. Brian was swaying, face a bit pale, and his head bobbed a bit. It was clear they had celebrated a bit before coming out to enjoy even more drinks. Brian, a lightweight at best, had clearly overdone it. The couple walked towards the exit and John let out a long breath.

 

“You need to control your words Deaks,” Freddie sighed.

 

“I may not say a lot but I mean what I say,” John lifted his chin. “I don’t like her.”

 

“Yeah, it’s not the best situation but Brian’s a big boy,” the djinn shrugged his shoulders and started walking to the bar to try and find Roger. “It’ll be fine. It’ll fizzle out.”

 

By the time they found Roger the incubus had several empty shot glasses in front of him. Freddie walked up behind him and clapped a hand on his shoulder.

 

“We’re here to celebrate right? Let’s fucking celebrate then,” Roger’s eyes had something dangerous in them as he ordered another shot.

 

\--

 

“It’s fucked right?” Roger seethed as they walked into the flat. He stumbled into the living room and caught himself on the wall, blinking at them blearily. “What he did. It’s fucked.”

 

“Yes Roger,” Freddie sighed, having heard the same thing over and over on the ride home from the pub. “Let’s get you some water and then off to bed.”

 

He smiled gratefully at John as the dragon slipped into the kitchen to grab a glass. A quick glance of the apartment showed that Brian had not returned, clearly having gone to Lydia’s. He returned moments later, pressing the cool glass into Roger’s hand. The blond scrunched his nose up and shook his head.

 

“I’m not done. We have…we have some vodka. Let’s do a shot!” His eyes lit up as much as they could. “Come on Fred, one shot?”

 

“Absolutely not, you’re going to drink the water and go to bed,” he tried to be stern, feeling more and more like the mother hen of the group.

 

Roger’s famous rage flared up and he shook his head. “No! I’m not done!” The blond stumbled backwards before his foot hit the sofa. It caused him to tumble ungracefully to the ground. As soon as he hit the floor he let out a wounded sound and curled up, shoulders shaking with sobs.

 

“Fuck Roger,” John stepped forward, managing to put his hand on his friend’s shoulder before it was shoved away roughly.

 

“Get the fuck away from me,” he choked out.

 

Freddie and John shared a look. The djinn sank down on the floor next to him but kept his distance. “Roger, darling, take a breath. Just breathe for me.”

 

“I ruined it,” Roger moaned out, his voice sounding like it actually hurt. “I’ve ruined everything. We were supposed to celebrate our album and I’m here crying on the fucking floor. I ruined it.”

 

“You didn’t ruin anything,” Freddie managed to brush his fingers through sweaty blond hair and felt relieved that he didn’t flinch away this time.

 

“He said he loved me and…I couldn’t,” his voice went high and squeaky at the last word. “I want to so bad. I want him to…but I couldn’t and now he has her and I shouldn’t be mad at that. I should be happy that he’s moving on, but I can’t be.”

 

John joined them both on the floor. “You did what you thought was best.”

 

“I did!” The drunken conviction in his voice made Freddie’s heart crack a bit further. “I did and he was so mad at me. He doesn’t understand. Did…did you know that he fucking asked me to turn him?”

 

Freddie honestly didn’t know how to respond to that. He wiped at the silver tears on his friend’s cheek and hummed in what he hoped was a reassuring way. Roger was trembling and had practically crawled into his lap, arms wrapped around his waist.

 

“Rog-“

 

“I hate myself,” the words came out low and dark. “I hate what I am.”

 

John looked like he had been hit. “Don’t say that Roger.”

 

“Do you know how I became what I am Deaky?” Freddie tightened his hold on Roger’s shoulders. The blond’s eyes were flinty and his mouth twisted into a snarl. “I…I had just started university and went to a club right? I just wanted some fun, maybe go home with someone.”

 

“Roger, maybe this is a conversation we can have later,” he said softly but Roger pushed himself up unsteadily. He glared at both of them from where he knelt on the floor.

 

“And this girl found me and fuck…she was a damn wet dream come to life,” a full shiver ran through his body. “She had this bright red hair and her body…shit. We danced for a bit and then she asked me if I wanted to come back to her place. Well, it wasn’t asked. She looked me in the eye and told me we were going to her place. Next thing I know we’re fucking in her bed and it’s amazing, best I’ve ever felt.”

 

“Let’s talk about this another time,” Freddie knew that shy John would be horrified by the details.

 

“No! I’m going to talk and you’re going to fucking listen,” Roger spat up, scooting backwards so his back bit the coffee table. “We…we’re fucking and it’s lasting forever and I…I’m so tired. I asked her to stop and she…she didn’t. I knew something wasn’t right but I suddenly didn’t have any strength. I was scared and I…I…I thought she was killing me.”

 

“Jesus.”

 

“She just kept taking and taking from me,” Roger’s eyes went glassy as he stared ahead, not really seeing what was in front of me. “And then she stopped. She smiled at me and kissed me and then she _breathed_ into me. I felt like I was just burning, burning, burning, burning, burning. I was being torn from the inside out. I was…I was being shredded. Then, I woke up and I felt different. I was hungry in a way I’ve never been before, and I knew that she had changed me. She changed me without my consent, and I was terrified. She told me that she picked me, and we were going to be together. She said we would feed together, and I would be hers.”

 

“It wasn’t your fault Roger,” Freddie brushed his hair back, feeling tears of his own on his cheeks.

 

“I know,” he whispered, pulling his knees to his chest. “I know but that doesn’t change anything. I’m still the way I am. Brian asked me to change him and…I couldn’t make him feel the same fear and pain I did. I couldn’t do this to him.”

 

They sat in silence for a long moment, the only sound was Roger’s hitched breaths. Finally, John scooted closer to him. “What happened to her?”

 

“You gonna go fight her for me Deaks?” A wry smile quirked at Roger’s lips. “She’s in prison. I ran and reported her.”

 

“Good,” John relaxed. “I’m sorry Roger, I’m sorry for everything.”

 

Roger nodded and sighed. “Me too.”

 

Without a word, Freddie slipped his hand into Roger’s and squeezed. He didn’t know how to fix this which broke his heart. He didn’t know how to bring back that bubbly, happy Roger that he worked in a stall with, selling crappy clothes and knick-knacks. He glanced over to John to see the same sadness he was feeling mirrored on his face.

 

They let Roger cry for a good long time before he started nodding off. As carefully as they could, they got him into bed and comfortable. The blond didn’t even open his eyes when they lay his head down, soft breaths puffing out onto the sheets.

 

“Christ, how does he do it? How does he carry that pain and still smile?” John whispered as they shut his door.

 

“It’s just who he is,” Freddie looked sadly at the door. He then turned to face John, feeling a bit awkward but unable to stop himself from asking. “Could…could I maybe have a hug? After that I really need one.”

 

John smiled softly and nodded, stepping forward into Freddie’s arms. The djinn let himself relax into John’s embrace enjoying the heat coming from him. It felt like he was wrapped in the coziest blanket imaginable.

 

“Thanks Deaky,” Freddie mumbled into his hair, squeezing lightly. “Thank you so much. I’m so glad you’re here.”

 

“Me too,” John’s voice sounded a bit choked. “You guys are the best thing that’s ever happened to me. You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

 

Freddie closed his eyes at that, letting the words echo in


	7. Chapter 7

_“Even though we were never supposed to be together I can’t be with anyone else, no matter the consequences.”_

_-Nicole Gulla_

Roger fucking _despised_ Lydia.

 

She had weaseled her way into the band with her swinging hips and too bright smile. Brian was completely head over heels with her. When he wasn’t playing his guitar, he had his hand in hers or an arm around her slim waist.

 

Honestly, on paper she was perfectly fine. Lydia was a successful owner of a restaurant which apparently meant that she could follow them around like a groupie. She volunteered with the homeless and always offered a kind smile despite him acting rather frosty towards her. She was the perfect woman and Roger hated her so much.

 

“You all played magnificently!” She jumped up and down and clapped her hands as soon as they walked into the dressing room. Roger clenched his teeth as soon as he saw her and stalked to the side of the room where he had haphazardly thrown his things.

 

“Thanks love,” Brian pulled her in for a kiss and gave her a slight spin making her giggle.

 

John sidled up next to him and shot him a look through the mirror. It was nice to have friends to hate your friend’s girlfriend with. A strange thing to bond over but it was nice. Even Freddie, someone who normally saw the good in everyone, didn’t like her.

 

“Roger, you amaze me,” she said sweetly, settling into her position under Brian’s arm. “I didn’t know someone could move that fast!”

 

“Thanks,” he gave her a tight smile.

 

She kept rambling and Brian nodded along with her like he was fascinated with every word she said. In record time Roger and the other two were cleaned up and packed up. Brian had gotten distracted by his girlfriend’s talking and was taking a bit longer.

 

“Well, we were going to go to the pub if you wanted to join,” Freddie offered, ignoring the glares he got.

 

“Oh no, we were just going to go back to the hotel and turn in early,” Brian pushed his hair away from his eyes and smiled. “You have fun though!”

 

Without another word, Roger practically ushered Freddie and John out. His body was still tight with tension and his eyes flashed as they moved past the happy couple.

 

“And we can get something to eat, I’m starving,” Lydia whispered playfully into Brian’s ear, nipping lightly at the earlobe as Roger shut the door behind him.

 

They made their way to the pub in silence. Roger was too wrapped up in what had just happened and the other two were too nervous to say anything at the risk of making him fly off the handle. He didn’t say a word as he slumped in his seat and John scurried off to grab them some drinks.

 

“She’s a bitch,” Freddie said simply as he lit his cigarette.

 

“No, she’s not, but thank you for the support regardless,” Roger mumbled, voice muffled from where he had buried his face in his arms.

 

“A right bitch,” John agreed cheerfully as he placed a pint in front of each of them. “So, drink up.”

 

The first pint passed with mindless chit chat about the show. They talked about tiny mistakes that could be fixed the next time and how excited they were about the upcoming America tour. Freddie practically vibrated in his seat with excitement, a wide grin on his face and stars in his eyes as he talked at length about what they were going to see in the places they were going to visit.

 

“I’ll be back gents, and then I’m going to hear all about your dream cities,” he gave them a wink and walked towards the bar to get them a refill.

 

Roger drained the last of his beer and then glanced at John. The young dragon was staring after Freddie, a strange look in his eyes and he was slightly leaning towards the direction Freddie had walked. Realization sparked and a silly, knowing grin spread across Roger’s face.

 

“What?” John finally noticed him staring and blushed.

 

“You fancy Freddie,” Roger grinned even wider and place his chin on his hand, batting his eyelashes dramatically. John burned an even brighter red and Roger cackled. “Oh! You absolutely fancy him.”

 

“Shut it! I…no…how…how did you know?” John sank a bit in the booth.

 

“It’s who I am,” Roger struck a confident pose, flipping his hair. “I can sense these kind of things. When you’re a love demon you see all those little things people try to hide.”

 

“You’re a lust demon,” John scowled, now crossing his arms over his chest.

 

“And you’re saying I didn’t sense any lust from you?” Roger teased and laughed loudly when John didn’t answer. “The longing stare just now kind of gave me a clue.”

 

John bit his lip and glanced nervously towards the bar where Freddie was still getting their drinks. “He thinks I’m still a…kid almost. He would never take me seriously.”

 

The teasing faded and Roger nodded slightly. “He likes you.”

 

“What? How can you tell?” John sat up a bit straighter then narrowed his eyes. “And none of this love demon bullocks.”

 

“I’ve known Fred for a long, long time,” Roger gave him a small smile. “I’ve seen him with quite a few people, and he has never looked at anyone the way he looks at you. As cheesy as it sounds, he looks at you like you’re a wish that’s come true.”

 

John blinked at him before ducking his head. “No one in my family has ever been with someone who wasn’t our kind. It’s not allowed…the idea is that we are supposed to make more dragons to try and repopulate from when we were hunted.”

 

“Sounds terribly romantic,” Roger deadpanned. “Fuck those ideas. You fell in love with a djinn and that’s that. I couldn’t help that I…we just can’t help it.”

 

“I don’t know how to tell him,” John stared down at his hands.

 

“How about, ‘I’ll rub your lamp if you rub mine’” he grinned at the sharp laughter. “But seriously, I’m not the one to take advice from. Just tell him. Come right out and say that you care for him and would like to see if it can be something. You want it to be something right?”

 

John nodded shyly. He sunk further down in his seat when Freddie arrived with the refills, ranting about some rude girl who had cut him in line. He sat down with a flourish and took a long drink from his pint.

 

“Now what were you two chatting about?” He asked curiously.

 

“The set,” Roger took a drink of his own beer and lightly kicked John under the table. “Excuse me for a moment, I’m going to go feed.”

 

He slid out of the booth, giving a wink to John who looked a bit panicked. As he walked away he waited until Freddie wasn’t looking before he gave a ‘go on’ motion with his hand. The incubus slunk a bit further away until he was partially hidden behind the bar.

 

At first John seemed like he was going to chicken out. He was nodding, wide eyed, to whatever story Freddie was rambling. Then, he licked his lips nervously and leaned forward. Freddie leaned forward as well, his brow creased in concern.

 

Roger felt his chest grow warm as John stumbled through his words, blushing bright red and looking down at his hands clasped on the table. Freddie listened carefully and then gave him a small smile. He could have cheered when Freddie reached across the table to take John’s hands in his own.

 

Not a love demon his ass.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we have some insecure John and some extra drama. 
> 
> Thank you all for your kind comments! This has been such a fun story to write!

_“Nothing gold can stay.”_

_-Robert Frost_

“Did these hurt?” John asked softly, brushing his fingers along the swirling tattoos that climbed up Freddie’s arms. “They’re super intricate. I’ve hurt that hurts the most.”

 

Freddie glanced up from the magazine he had been leafing through and smiled down at John. He placed the magazine on the bedside table and shimmied down until they were lying face to face. “Are you into tattoos my dear?”

 

“I’m into you,” he couldn’t fight the blush that rose on his cheeks. It was hard to start a relationship when they were out on the road and some shy, insecure part of John worried that Freddie would get bored. He turned away from the groupies now but they were quickly rising in popularity. It wouldn’t be long before someone better came along.

 

Freddie laughed, bright and beautiful, and leaned forward to press their lips together. “I have never gotten a tattoo in my life.”

 

“What?” John raised his eyebrows.

 

“We’re born with them,” Freddie took John’s fingers in his own and traced along the design on his hand and forearm. “It’s like…a history book in a way. It’s the symbols of my family and of my home. I look at them and I think about my ancestors.”

 

“They’re beautiful,” John whispered.

 

They really were. The patterns would go from being large and bold to small and incredibly intricate. Tiny flowers hid in some of the designs and he was entranced with how they shifted over his muscles. John gently pressed a kiss to one, smiling when Freddie leaned forward to kiss the top of his head.

 

“Let me show you something,” he slid out of bed, rolling his eyes at Freddie’s wolf whistle and walked to his beat up suitcase. He undid the latches and felt along the lining until he came across the secret pocket he had sewed in. He dug around for a bit before he found what he was looking for and scurried back to bed.

 

He handed the small disk to Freddie and watched nervously as the older man turned it over in his hands curiously. It was obviously very, very old based on how tarnished the metal was. The disk itself was a dull gold with a cross design etched into it. Tiny pearls, emeralds, rubies and other beautiful stones were inlayed throughout, sparkling in the low light.

 

“It’s beautiful,” Freddie held it up to the light to see it fully.

 

“It was my great, great, great, great, great-“ he waved his hand a bit to show how many more ‘greats’ were there. “Great grandfather’s. We did the math once and it has to be from the five hundreds or something. It’s a true piece of medieval jewelry.”

 

Freddie raised his eyebrows in interest. “That’s pretty damn old.”

 

“It is,” John giggled. “He kept to himself but these stupid knights always wanted to get fame and fortune by bringing home the head of a dragon. This belonged to one of those knights and he kept it after he won their little battle. I mean, you can’t just decide to kill someone for no reason and not expect them to defend themselves.”

 

“Of course,” Freddie nodded.

 

“So, he would keep little trinkets of people who tried to hurt him. It’s funny, because there’s the stereotype of dragons having a hoard of treasure but it is kind of true. My dad…right before he died…gave me this and said that it is a reminder that no matter what, we are strong. We are survivors and we shouldn’t let anyone treat us like the animals that people think we are,” John smiled down at the brooch.

 

Freddie leaned over and gave him a gentle kiss, reaching up to cup the back of his head with his hand. He pulled back to whisper against his lips. “Thank you for showing me.”

 

“It’s a part of me…you know? I wanted to show you that part of me,” he felt another blush burn on his cheeks. “Maybe it’s a little stupid but I like having that bit of home with me.”

 

“It’s not stupid,” Freddie stroked a thumb along his cheekbone, feeling the smooth bumps of the dusting of scales. He followed the scales’ path on his cheek where they thickened and turned a slight iridescent green along his jaw and neck. “It matters to you, so it matters to me.”

 

He pressed the brooch back into John’s hand and he smiled at the warmth that was left behind from Freddie’s skin.

 

\--

 

Of course, they celebrated when they got home. They celebrated the end of their tour, the new album they were able to make, and the rock stars they found themselves becoming.

 

Drinks were flowing and music was pumping loudly. To be honest, John was a bit tired of it all. He really just wanted one quiet night playing Scrabble or lounging about in his pajamas. Instead, he was surrounded by too many people. People who were hanging all over Freddie, batting their eyes up at him and trying to get the attention of their frontman.

 

And Freddie was loving it.

 

He was laughing and spinning some of the girls around. His shirt was completely unbuttoned, showing off his chest and his pants were sinfully tight. John might have enjoyed the view if he didn’t have to share it with what seemed like every pretty university student in London.

 

“Come smoke with me,” Roger tugged at his arm and John reluctantly let himself get led outside the club. The night was slightly chilly but John didn’t really feel it. He leaned against the brick wall, ignoring the faint dampness, and accepted a cigarette from his friend.

 

He placed the cigarette between his lips and snapped his fingers, lighting the stick with the faint flame that sparked up. Roger let out a gasp and hopped a bit on his feet.

 

“Oh! That’s a fun trick! Do mine!” He laughed when John repeated the action. “Now that’s fun.”

 

John couldn’t help but smile. Normally, he hid what he was but around Roger he felt differently. Maybe it was because Roger also harbored a bit of resentment about not being human. It was nice to have someone feel similarly, to go through the same struggles that he had.

 

John breathed in a deep breath of smoke and sagged against the wall again. “So, you’re not having fun either?”

 

“No,” Roger scoffed.

 

He didn’t even have to ask why. He saw the way Roger stiffened the moment Brian walked in hand in hand with Lydia. He saw the way the incubus’s eyes followed the couple around until he couldn’t stand it anymore.

 

“Yeah,” John nodded.

 

“You know Freddie won’t go with any of them. He’s not like that,” Roger said through a breath of smoke. “You don’t need to worry.”

 

John felt shame burn in his stomach. “I know. He’s too good for that. It’s just…it’s hard.”

 

“Tell me about it,” Roger grumbled around his cigarette.

 

“It’s what you wanted though. You told me that you couldn’t be with Brian and he’s found someone else. He seems happy with her,” John shrugged, and Roger sighed, dropping his cigarette on the ground and stomping it out. “Don’t you want him to be happy?”

 

“Of course, Deaky!” Roger slumped back against the wall. “Just not with her.”

 

“With who?” An overly sweet voice made them both jump and they turned to see Lydia smiling at them. The shadows cast across her face by the street lights made her features seem long and sharp.

 

“I’m sorry?” John was the first one to get his voice back.

 

“Freddie was looking for you both. He wanted to make some toast or something and two of the men of honor aren’t there,” she laughed and plucked the unlit cigarette from Roger’s fingers. “Have a light?”

 

“No sorry,” Roger snapped, crossing his arms over his chest.

 

Lydia smiled down at her feet and then looked up at him, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “Brian told me, you know? He told me about the feeding and your little chat afterwards.”

 

Roger went perfectly still, and John felt his own heart jump. The incubi let out a long, thin breath and lifted his chin a bit.

 

“It’s alright though,” Lydia smiled at them, digging through her purse and coming up with a lighter. She lit her cigarette and took a long inhale. “It’s quite fine. You just need to know that it’s done.”

 

“It is, is it?” Roger asked frostily.

 

“Well of course. You’ve got the poor boy so confused you know. He actually believed he loved you,” she let out a sharp, ringing laugh. “And I get it. You’ve got the pretty face and the magic to draw him in. Absolutely he would want to crawl between your legs to get a taste of that-“

 

“Cut it out,” John growled, heat burning his chest. Roger seemed frozen, eyes wide.

 

“Didn’t mean to offend,” Lydia raised both hands. “I’m just saying I understand but it hurt him. Thank God I am here to help put him back together. Don’t worry, when I turn him he won’t be as affected by you.”

 

“You can’t. If you turn him against his will you’ll go to jail,” John felt panic claw at his throat.

 

“Who said anything about being against his will? We’ve been talking about it and he’s considering it. We’ll do it right, register and whatnot, but if that is what he wants then I won’t deny him that. I love him too much to keep him from being happy,” her eyes sparkled, and Roger practically lunged forward, only stopping when John grabbed the back of his shirt.

 

“So, we’ll tell Brian what a manipulative bitch you’re being,” he snarled out, eyes glowing in the dim light.

 

“Aw sweetheart,” Lydia patted Roger’s cheek, lightly raking her too long nails along his skin. “You can tell him whatever you want, and you’ll come across as the jealous bitch that you are. I’m just asking you to let him be happy, just like you want him to be.”

 

“Listen-“ John started.

 

“The boys need you both inside,” she tossed her cigarette off to the side and turned to walk back into the club. “Chop chop.”

 

Roger trembled under John’s hand and he clenched his hands into fists. “Fucking bitch. Goddamn _whore_. That…that evil-“

 

“Stop,” John squeezed his shoulder and Roger spun to face him. His eyes burned sliver, almost as bright as lights. His face seemed like it had lengthened and become more angular and his teeth looked a bit sharper when he snarled. He looked more monster than man in that moment.

 

“Stop? Stop! I can’t! She…fucking Christ, she is manipulating him!” Roger seethed. “She’ll hurt him!”

 

John reached up to take Roger’s face in his hands, forcing their eyes to lock. “You need to calm down. If you go in there all freaked out it’ll just push him more into her arms. He’s a grown man and he can make that choice even if it’s a fucking stupid choice.”

 

All the fight seeped out of Roger and he slumped. “It isn’t right.”

 

“No, it isn’t,” John let go of him and Roger closed his eyes tight. “But we can be there as his friend. We can do what we can. Okay?”

 

Roger nodded faintly and followed John into the club. Freddie called them out over the microphone, teasing them for being late, and then went into a speech about how thankful they were for their support and how excited they were for upcoming projects.

 

John couldn’t even concentrate on the beautiful words. He was too focused on the way that Lydia smiled smugly at Roger from underneath Brian’s arm. He was too distracted by the silver tears sparkling in the corners of his eyes.

 

He would give anything to go back half an hour where his biggest concern was Freddie smiling at a girl.

 

As soon as the speech was finished Roger practically fled the club. John would have followed if not for Freddie bounding up next to him and wrapping an arm around his waist, pressing a kiss to his cheek. It was obvious Freddie was a bit drunk but he was grinning and he was grinning at John.

 

“What’s wrong dearest?” Freddie’s smile faded when he saw the expression on John’s face.

 

“Nothing,” John shook his head. He couldn’t tell Freddie about the conversation. Freddie would lose it and demand Lydia go which would only lead to Brian leaving. “I’m…can I ask you a question Fred?”

 

“Anything,” Freddie blinked a few times and nodded, looking worried.

 

“We’re okay right? I don’t want you to change and you wouldn’t ask me to change…right?” He wove their fingers together. “I’m…enough right?”

 

“John,” Freddie breathed and shook his head. “Of course, you’re enough. You’re everything. Is this about the dancing? I thought you were okay with it. I’ll stop! I’m so sorry if I hurt you.”

 

John shook his head. “It’s not the dancing, not really.”

 

Freddie took his chin in his fingers and turned him to face him. “What is going on? Did something happen?”

 

How could he explain the jealousy that had burned him before? How could he explain what Lydia had told them? How could he explain the fear and anxiety twisting in his stomach and clawing like a monster trying to escape?

 

“I’ll tell you later, yeah?” John mumbled. “But not here.”

 

He motioned to the intoxicated crowd around them and Freddie nodded, still looking worried. It seemed like he wanted to say something but finally just stepped closer, pressing their foreheads together. John sucked in a deep breath and closed his eyes.

 

“You’re enough John, my little spark, you’re enough,” he smiled at the sincerity in his voice. “Don’t ever doubt that.”


	9. Chapter 9

Roger was one of the most confident people Brian had ever met.

 

He walked with a air of self assuredness that he always envied. There was a way he held himself, like he knew exactly where he was meant to be, that made others admire and respect him. 

 

It was very rare to see Roger feeling awkward or shy. This was one of those times. The blond hovered in Brian’s bedroom doorway, shoulders curled in on themselves and his hand still in a loose fist from knocking. His expression was guarded, like he was not quite sure if he was welcome.

 

That thought broke Brian’s heart a little. Just a few months ago Roger would have burst in without knocking and flop face down on his bed, whining about everything and anything. 

 

“Can I help you?” Brian finally asked when he got tired of Roger lingering in the hall. 

 

“Yeah...can we talk?” 

 

A ball of anxiety formed in Brian’s stomach and he set aside the notebook he had been brainstorming songs in. “Okay. Is everything okay?”

 

“Yeah...no…” Roger heaved a sigh and stepped into the room, keeping to the sides. 

 

“So…” Brian was uncomfortable with the awkward way Roger seemed to be avoiding him. “What is it?”

 

Roger hesitated, bouncing from foot to foot for a moment. “It’s about Lydia.”

 

“Of course it is,” Brian grumbled, feeling a rush of annoyance. Roger hadn’t exactly hidden his dislike of his girlfriend and he hated the way Lydia seemed so broken up about how his friend was treating her. 

 

“No...shit,” Roger groaned and tipped his head back, like he was searching for the right words to say. “The other night, at the party, she said some things that really...upset me.”

 

That got Brian’s attention. Roger rarely let things bother him. He was more likely to shrug off insults or give it back just as strongly. It wasn’t often that he seemed this bothered about something that someone said. 

 

“What things?” 

 

Roger kept his gaze on the ceiling. “Well, first it was an insult to me which doesn’t bother me...you know? Well, it wouldn’t but it was just vile. She claimed that I basically seduced you and brainwashed you.”

 

“What?” Brian frowned. 

 

“Is that what you think? Is that what you told her?” Roger turned pleading eyes towards him.

 

“Of course not!” He shook his head, not missing how Roger relaxed slightly at that. “I told her about the feeding but I said it was something that had to happen. I admitted that I was a bit confused and disoriented afterwards but I never, ever, ever put the blame on you.”

 

The blond nodded, this time tipping his head forward so that a curtain of hair fell into his eyes. “Then she said that you were going to ask her to turn you.”

 

He said it so softly that Brian barely heard it. 

 

“I…” Brian paused and Roger’s head snapped up, expression a bit fearful. “It was something we had discussed in passing...we hadn’t decided anything. It was just something I mentioned once or twice.”

 

“You’re actually considering it? Like, it’s a possibility?” Roger’s eyes narrowed. 

 

“Maybe,” Brian shrugged and the incubus scoffed, looking down at his feet. “To be fair, I also asked you to turn me.”

 

Roger set his jaw, eyes flashing. “That’s different and you fucking know it.”

 

“Rog, I know what you went through was horrible. It was violating and evil,” he tried to keep his voice calm but Roger was clearly still fuming. “But, not every turning is like that.”

 

“You’d make a shit vampire you know?” Roger spat and crossed his arms over his chest. “Like really shit. You’re a fucking vegetarian for god’s sake. Do you really think you could drink human blood?”

 

At the mention of blood Brian felt his face blanch a bit. 

 

“If you love someone you’ll change for them,” Brian argued back.

 

“If someone loves you they won’t ask you to change!” Roger snapped and Brian couldn’t really argue with that. “Is that it? Do you love her now?”

 

The words shriveled up on Brian’s tongue and he sagged backwards to lean against the wall, legs stretched out in front of him on the bed. “I don’t know...maybe? I like her a lot. She cares for me and I care for her.”

 

Roger crossed the room, motioning to the empty side of the bed and sitting down next to him. “I worry about you.”

 

“Just because I’m human doesn’t mean that I’m useless. I can make decisions for myself,” he inched his foot over to tap against Roger’s calm, getting a wan smile in return. “I know you’re scared but I won’t do it unless I’m completely sure. She would never hurt me.”

 

“How do you know?” Roger turned to him with wide, frightened eyes. 

 

“I don’t,” Brian shrugged. “I just hope so.”

 

They sat side by side in silence, both of their feet dangling off the side of the bed. It was kind of nice to be able to just sit and not feel uncomfortable or lost. 

 

“I miss being your friend,” Roger whispered. “I’m scared I ruined it because I was too stupid to not feed after the show.”

 

“I was too stupid to force us to leave right after the show and drive through the night in a storm,” Brian chuckled. “Why wouldn’t you tell me that you needed to? We would have waited.”

 

Roger pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. “I hated the idea of you all waiting for me as I got someone off in a dirty bathroom.”

 

Brian grimaced at that. It was no secret how uncomfortable Roger’s feeding made him. He could just imagine how Roger would avoid feeding so that he wouldn’t have to witness it. He could easily imagine how Roger let himself suffer. 

 

“I miss being your friend too,” Brian felt tears prick in his eyes. “Can’t we start over? Go back to what we were?”

 

“Yes please!” Roger nodded furiously, silvery tears sparkling in his eyes. 

 

He laughed when Brian reached over and pulled him into a tight hug. Instantly, the younger man sagged against him and let himself melt into his touch. Brian chuckled and ruffled Roger’s hair, getting a squawk in return. 

 

“Also, did you know Fred and John are together?” He asked, grinning when Roger’s head snapped up. 

 

“Yes! I made that happen!” Roger beamed, thrusting a thumb at himself. “I pushed John into making a confession! That was all me!”

 

Brian laughed at the blond’s enthusiasm. “Do you think they are oblivious enough to think that we have no idea?”

 

“Oh absolutely.”

 

He couldn’t help but smile at the resulting laugh. It felt so damn good to make Roger laugh again.

 

They would be alright.  


	10. Chapter 10

America was everything Freddie dreamed it would be.

 

It was opulent and tasteless at the same time. Every city was so incredibly different, not having the same feel that all English towns did. One would be a huge modern city and the other would be old fashioned. It made everything so exciting and he was filing away all their new, wild experiences.

 

The way John had struggled to figure out the difference of the similarly colored dollar bills.

 

The way Brian had to complain constantly about tipping.

 

The horror in Roger’s eyes when he saw biscuits and gravy on the menu and the delight in them when he ordered them out of morbid curiosity.

 

It was all so amazing. They were touring with an outstanding band and people on a whole other _continent_ knew who they were. It was his dream come true and it was way better than he could have ever thought.

 

Not only were the shows going wonderfully but they were playing together better than ever. Brian and Roger had seemed to come to an understanding and rekindled their friendship, although Lydia staying in England had probably helped. John even had moments where he let go of his insecurities and a new kind of confidence started to shine through.

 

The tiny towns they wandered through were adorable with a kind of charm Freddie thought only existed in American television shows. Even though they were still smaller towns the crowds were as enthusiastic as ever. Sure, they were only the opening act, but the audience grew with every show.

 

But then they got to New York City.

 

It was everything Freddie had dreamed of. He had always dreamed of the lights and noise. It was like walking through the biggest party he had ever imagined, and it never ended. Everything in New York City was about excess and being different was something to be celebrated instead of feared.

 

Supernaturals wandered the street, not hiding or trying to blend in like they were used to. A dyrad walked right past them, flowers in her tangled mess of hair made of vines. A Valkyrie flirted with John in a bar, her powerful wings wrapping partly around the two of them before John managed to squirm away. There was even a group of djinn Freddie got to talk with that night.

 

The only person who didn’t seem to be having the time of their lives was Brian.

 

He had caught some kind of virus and couldn’t seem to shake it. He spent a good portion of the day vomiting and only just made it through shows before practically collapsing into bed and sleeping. Honestly, Freddie was impressed that Brian could play as well as he could with whatever stomach flu was still raging through him.

 

Regardless Brian still pushed through. They were expected to play at the Uris Theater, their biggest show yet, and it was clear that Brian would do whatever he could to do it. Roger had gone down to a nearby pharmacy and bought almost every medication he could get his hands on. A few doses of stomach medication, pain pills, and fever reducer later and Brian was ready to go on.

 

“Hello, hello, hello New York,” Freddie crooned to the audience as Roger gave the drums a few solid whacks and John strummed his bass. “We are just thrilled to be here in the Big Apple.”

 

A cheer rose up and he grinned, flipping his hair over his shoulder.

 

“We are Queen and we can’t wait to play for you! First up is Father and Son. Lead us on in Brian,” he raised a hand, gave a flick of his fingers, and let a wave of swirling smoke sail towards their guitarist. The crowd screamed in excitement as the lights played with the smoke twining around Brian as he started their processional.

 

The crowd cheered as they started really playing and Freddie was on a high like never before. They were playing in front of nearly two thousand people and they were killing it. He moved around the stage like he owned it, glancing at his bandmates in turn.

 

Brian still looked pale but determined, jaw tight as he absolutely shredded on his guitar. John had started doing his adorable little bopping dance, thin streams of steam drifting from his fingers. But Roger…Roger looked different.

 

The blond was drumming as powerfully as ever, hands practically a blur. His hair caught the light and he had his head tipped back as if in ecstasy. His eyes opened and Freddie was surprised by the incredibly bright light coming from them.

 

They went into Ogre Battle and then into Son and Daughter. By the time they got to Liar Freddie knew that this was by far the best show they had put on. Judging by the wide, carefree smile John gave him he agreed.

 

“That was fucking brilliant!” Freddie trilled as they walked off the stage, listening to the cheers from behind them. John bounced a bit on his feet and laughed, leaning into Freddie side as the older man pulled him in.

 

“You were brilliant,” John popped up on his tiptoes and pressed a kiss to Freddie’s cheeks, still on a rush from their performance. “They loved you.”

 

“They loved us,” Freddie grinned behind him at their other two bandmates. “You both alright darlings?”

 

“Just perfect,” Roger said dreamily, eyes still glowing faintly. “I…I just fed.”

 

“What?” Brian glanced up from the tea one of their stagehands had handed him. “When? You’ve been here the whole time?”

 

Roger grinned at him, hands clenching and unclenching into fists. “I fed _during_ the fucking show. It’s…it’s arousal. That’s what I feed on. We…we were fucking on fire. Everyone in that audience wanted us.”

 

A few beats passed and Brian stared at him, mouth open in shock. He blinked a few times and then seemed to understand. “You’re saying that there were enough people there for you to feed on?”

 

Roger nodded, the widest smile he had ever seen spreading across his face. “I don’t need to feed. As long as we’re doing these shows I don’t need to feed. I…fuck I didn’t know it was possible.”

 

He let out a sharp laugh, eyes sparkling with happy tears. Freddie had known Roger for years and he had never, ever seen him like this. The incubus seemed almost in a daze. His hands were clasped in front of his mouth and he swayed slightly.

 

“So obviously we will keep doing bigger and bigger shows!” Freddie exclaimed, grabbing Roger’s hands and spinning in a circle with him. “Which of course we will! Let’s celebrate! Drinks in New York Fucking City!”

 

“I’ll have to pass,” Brian smiled wanly, and Roger’s smile fell.

 

“What?”

 

 “I’m really tired,” the guitarist rubbed at his arm, face pinched with pain. He walked into the dressing room and after a minute Roger followed. Freddie shared a look with John and his expression of nervousness mirrored his own feelings.

 

The dressing room was huge, bigger than any one they had seen before. Roger basically cornered Brian in the far corner but their hissed whispers were louder than they anticipated, meeting John and Freddie’s ears.

 

“Did you hear what I said?” Roger asked, the door nearly hitting John as he rushed after Brian. For a moment, Freddie wondered if they should even be there but it felt like they didn’t even notice they were there. “I don’t _need_ to feed! The crowds are enough! It’s enough!”

 

“I heard you,” Brian grumbled and carefully put Red Special into her case.

 

Roger took a step back like he had been slapped. His eyes narrowed. “The problem with…with us being together was the feedings. I don’t need to now.”

 

The incubus reached out and gently rested a hand on Brian’s arm, freezing when Brian pulled away. “That’s wonderful Roger.”

 

“But?”

 

“But I’m with Lydia,” Brian sighed and locked his case.

 

“Seriously?” Roger snapped, stepping back. “Are you fucking serious?”

 

“Roger,” John spoke up, but Roger held up a firm hand, not even turning his attention to him. His eyes were blazing and fixed on Brian who seemed to be doing his best to ignore him.

 

The blond shook his head sharply. “You beg me to be together and when the barrier is gone you won’t.”

 

“Because that wasn’t the only fucking barrier Roger!” Brian shouted, surprising them all. “Christ, this is what I’m talking about. How do you think I fucking feel knowing that I was set aside until you got it together? I moved on Roger. I found someone who is willing to be with me despite everything. You weren’t.”

 

“I…I didn’t want to hurt you,” Roger breathed.

 

“And I don’t want to fight,” Brian shrugged and picked up his case. “Maybe if we had figured this out earlier it could have worked. I’m sorry Rog, the timing didn’t work out. You can find someone now though. You can be happy.”

 

Roger stared at him and nodded slightly. “I guess.”

 

There was a moment of hesitation before Brian stepped forward and pressed a kiss to the crown of Roger’s head. “I’m so happy you found some peace. I’m so happy you don’t have to do _that_ anymore.”

 

“Yeah,” Roger turned and watched him as he slipped out of the dressing room.

 

Freddie let out a long breath, watching as Roger’s world collapsed around him. Sadness, grief, and fear flashed across his face before it hardened into an angry mask. He bared his teeth and spun around, grabbing his jacket off the back of a chair.

 

“Roger,” Freddie started and the blond shook his head.

 

“You heard him. It’s over,” he sucked in a short breath. “If we had just gotten famous a few months earlier it would have worked. It didn’t so…no reason to dwell on it. He’s moving on and I can too.”

 

“Roger,” Freddie put more force into his words and grabbed the blond’s arm. “Take a breath.”

 

“It’s fine! I’m done,” Roger threw his hands up, shaking off Freddie’s hand. “He’s got Lydia and she makes him happy. I’d rather have him as a friend than not at all. I’m not going to risk losing that again. He moved on.”

 

“You’re not okay,” John whispered.

 

“No…but I might be,” Roger gave them a shaky smile.


	11. Chapter 11

_“A healthy body is a guest chamber for the soul: a sick body is a prison.”_

_-Francis Bacon_

Just getting out of bed was torture. His very bones burned and ached and protested as he swung his heavy limbs from under the covers. Nausea clawed up his throat, a horribly familiar feeling by now, and he swallowed convulsively.

 

The bathroom lights made Brian groan and he kept his eyes mostly closed as he made his way to the sink. For weeks he had been feeling off but the past few days had been nearly impossible. His arm was swollen and horribly painful, throbbing with every movement.

 

Maybe he should get some professional help.

 

Never in his life, not even when he had the flu during his final exams, had Brian ever felt this sick. Of course it had to coincide with their first American tour. He couldn’t bail on them now, their band depended on him.

 

So, just like the days before, he swallowed down a few pain relievers and made a decision to just get through the day.

 

Most of the day was spent curled up in his bed, trying to ignore the pounding in his head and the twisting in his stomach. Brian didn’t answer the knocks on his door or the frustrated shouts from outside.

 

It wasn’t until soundcheck that he forced himself out of bed again. Even the fabric of his shirt was painful against his skin and he yanked the door open to see a surprised John standing there, fist poised to knock.

 

“Christ, you look like death,” his brow furrowed and his slitted eyes narrowed.

 

“Thanks.”

 

“Are you sure you’re alright to go on?” John looked at him worriedly.

 

Brian nodded slightly, trying not to move his pounding head too much. “It’s our last show in New York. I’m not going to sit this out.”

 

John hummed lightly before nodding. He walked beside Brian the whole way, casting glances to his side but Brian just grit his teeth and continued.

 

He knew they saw him as weak since he was the only human. He was seen as fragile compared to John’s fire, Freddie’s magic, and Roger’s otherworldliness. Admitting he was sick was admitting he was weak. They would coddle him and he didn’t think he could handle it.

 

So he shrugged off all the worried looks and concerned questions. He pulled on his guitar as always and walked out to preform like he wasn’t running on fumes basically. The dull ache in his arm had evolved to a sharp pain and he had to grit his teeth to keep from crying out as he struck his first few chords.

 

It wasn’t his best performance, not even close. He was coming in late, missing notes, and his fingers didn’t seem to be paying much attention to what his brain told them to do. Brian knew the others were frustrated. Freddie’s voice came out a bit more forcefully, Roger sat tense on his chair, and John played harder to try and cover up the mistakes.

 

By the time they finished Brian’s entire body was shaking with pain. Black dots flashed in front of his eyes and his legs barely carried him off stage before they gave way entirely. Freddie’s gasp sounded horrifically loud in his ear and he felt their frontman grab his elbow to steady him.

 

“Bri? What’s going on?” The djinn asked worriedly and he heard the click of John’s boots hurrying towards them.

 

“I…I don’t feel good,” a burning wave of nausea made him shake. Thankfully someone noticed that his body was beginning to lurch and a small bin was thrust under his chin before he retched.

 

“Christ, you’re practically _yellow_ ,” John gasped out and he opened blurry eyes to see both him and Roger hovering nearby. “What the hell Brian?”

 

A cool hand pressed against his forehead and he shivered, leaning into the touch. Roger’s too blue eyes swam in and out of focus. “You’re burning up.”

 

Freddie crouched down next to him again (when did he leave?) and rested a hand on his back. “The medics are on their way. We’ll get you to the hospital in no time.”

 

The black spots were getting larger and larger no matter how many times he blinked. The last thing he saw before everything went back was the pure panic in Roger’s eyes.

 

Things came to him in flashes after that.

 

Brian blinked and he was being jostled into an ambulance, some paramedics snapping numbers and strange words around him.

 

Brian blinked and he was in the hospital, doctors and nurses rushing around him.

 

Brian blinked and he was whining in pain as they manipulated his screaming arm.

 

Brian blinked and he was in a room, burning with fever as his friends stood nearby.

 

Then he blinked and stayed awake.

 

The world felt fuzzy, like everything was made of cotton. He swallowed convulsively and looked around. His bandmates were huddled in a corner whispering about something. Both John and Freddie looked worried but Roger had a kind of rage that Brian had never seen before.

 

“So why the fuck is she coming here?” Roger snarled, shaking his head. “She caused this whole bloody mess. She’s the reason he could still…I don’t want her anywhere near him.”

 

“I know Rog but-“

 

“No! It’s not right! I swear I’ll rip her limb from limb the moment she steps foot in here,” Roger was trembling. He hadn’t seen it often but Brian knew that incubi physically could change. They were a subclass of demons after all. If a human was immune to their magic they were able to change to take them by force. He had seen the sharp claws and the fangs before. The anger was hard to control and he knew Roger hated it.

 

But now, he could see the way Roger’s face had grown more angular. He saw the way his nails were longer and sharper and his eyes reflected the light a bit more.

 

He was _pissed._ He was more than pissed, he was angrier than he had ever seen him.

 

“Hey,” he croaked out and everyone’s head snapped towards him.

 

“Brian!” Freddie rushed to his side, petting over his arms like he could fix him by sheer will alone. “John! Get the doctor!”

 

The youngest member ran out and Roger walked to the foot of his bed, face pinched. “How are you feeling?”

 

“Pretty shit,” Brian cleared his throat a few more times and settled back into the blankets. “What happened?”

 

He noticed the subtle change in Roger again but then it was right back to normal. The blond leaned forward and rested his hand on Brian’s calf, squeezing lightly. He didn’t get a chance to talk before John returned with a doctor.

 

The doctor was a pleasant looking man, tall and thin with a rather impressive mustache. He smiled warmly at all of them and turned his attention to Brian. “Welcome back Mr. May! We were quite worried about you.”

 

“What happened?” Brian asked again, gratefully accepting the cup of ice chips Freddie had grabbed for him.

 

“You were quite ill. You developed a case of hepatitis which was left untreated for some time. By the time you were brought in it was beginning to damage your liver. Thankfully we have you on some medication so the damage shouldn’t be too lasting,” he smiled again. “Unfortunately, your arm is another story.”

 

Ice froze in his veins.

 

His arm was wrapped in soft bandages but he still felt the pain despite the medication he had clearly been given.

 

“There was a site on your arm that developed an infection. That infection has progressed to gangrene,” the doctor wasn’t smiling now.

 

“So…what does that mean?” It took an incredible amount of energy to push the words out.

 

“We are treating it with very aggressive antibiotics. Sometimes the antibiotics don’t take and we will have to take more…intense measures,” he must have seen the fear on Brian’s face because he hesitated. “That would mean surgery to remove the diseased skin or…if it continues to spread we will have to amputate your arm.”

 

For a moment Brian was scared he would faint again.

 

His arm? How could he lose his arm? How could he play his guitar or adjust a telescope? He would be done, his life would be over.

 

“Obviously this is our last resort,” the doctor continued. “Right now, let’s focus on getting the infections out of your body. We want you to be healthy again.”

 

Brian nodded, feeling numb. He couldn’t even look up to see his friend’s faces. He couldn’t stand to see the pity in their eyes.

 

“How did I get it?” He finally breathed. Roger went perfectly still at the question, eyes narrowing.

 

“Well, we can’t know for certain but-“

 

“Lydia,” Roger blurted out. “Lydia gave it to you.”

 

Brian stared at him and then glanced at the doctor. “What?”

 

“Your girlfriend is a vampire, correct?” He pursed his lips when Brian nodded. “The infection in your arm was caused by a bite. She must have fed from someone with the virus and then fed from you. That caused the virus to spread to you.”

 

Roger scowled and looked down, knuckles turning white where he was gripping the bed railing so tightly.

 

“It…it wasn’t on purpose though…right? She’s not sick too?” Brian asked, trying to make his muddled brain piece together what was happening.

 

“Vampires do not notice or get symptoms of human diseases. She couldn’t have known,” the doctor continued.

 

“Unless she was checking people’s health histories or going to approved blood banks like _you’re supposed to do_ ,” Roger snapped again.

 

“Do you check the health history of every person you feed off of?” Brian raised an eyebrow and Roger bristled.

 

“I don’t eat people.”

 

John cleared his throat before a fight could start. “The point is, you got help at the right time. As soon as you’re stable enough the doctor said you can go back to England to continue recovering there.”

 

It was too much too soon. Brian could hardly process what was happening. He blinked furiously but tears started burning his eyes. With a hoarse cough, he tried to wipe his eyes in what he hoped was a discrete way.

 

“So…Lydia is coming?”

 

“Oh my God Brian!” Roger exploded, getting a glare from the doctor. “She might have cost you your arm and, worse, your life! Why the hell would you want to see her?”

 

“It wasn’t her fault,” he tried to defend her weakly.

 

He had hoped that at least John or Freddie would jump to her defense but they just stood silently. Roger fumed at the end of his bed, eyes flashing silver, as he glared.

 

“It wasn’t her fault,” this time his voice came out stronger. “I get you’re scared and whatever but it isn’t her fault what happened.”

 

Roger clenched his jaw but didn’t say anything.

 

He napped on an off throughout the day, feeling exhausted still. He only woke up when the sound of clicking heels roused him from sleep. Lydia burst into the room, hair a mess and mascara running down her cheeks from tears.

 

“Oh God!” She sobbed and launched herself at the bed, crying into his chest. “Brian, I am so sorry!”

 

“It’s not your fault,” he whispered, reaching his good hand up to cup the back of her head. He glanced over his shoulder to see Roger still glaring at her.

 

“But it feels like it was,” she choked out and shook her head. “God, if something happened to you I would never forgive myself.”

 

He smiled slightly and wiped her tears. “I’m alright love.”

 

“If…if I turn you then you won’t have to go through all this recovery. You won’t have to lose your arm or…please Brian,” Lydia pleaded and it felt like all the air rushed out of the room.

 

If he was turned the infection would be gone. He wouldn’t even have to worry about the disease coming back or the toll it would take on his body. This would be an easy fix and he could go back to being healthy and playing music.

 

“No,” he shook his head and she paused. “I don’t want to.”

 

Lydia opened and closed her mouth a few times before nodding. “I understand. I won’t push you to do something you don’t want.”

 

Behind her Roger’s entire body relaxed. A look like victory flashed across his face. Lydia stood and wiped her eyes. She glanced around the room and paused when Roger gave her a shit-eating grin.

 

“I do hope you’re going to take it easy,” she finally said. “No more playing or doing crazy rock star things until you’re better.”

 

“Shit! The rest of the shows!” Brian tried to push himself into a seated position.

 

“It’s fine. We canceled,” Freddie waved him off. “Besides, we would just suck without you.”

 

He wanted to protest and insist they go on regardless but instead he just smiled. His friends loved and cared for him. They weren’t angry of disappointed. They just wanted him to be better.

 

“Actually! I made some calls!” Lydia perked up and sat on the side of Brian’s bed, weaving her fingers through his. “You need a day to day manager, someone to help you all just stay organized. My friend Paul would be perfect.”

 

“Oh, I don’t know…” Freddie glanced at the rest of them.

 

“He’ll just be around to take some of the pressure off of you. God knows that you shouldn’t be under any more pressure, especially with the new album,” she squeezed Brian’s hand and gave him a warm smile.

 

“Is he part of your coven?” Roger spat out, clearly not thrilled that more of Lydia could infiltrate the band.

 

“He’s human,” she didn’t seem bothered. “Just please, I can’t stand the thought of you worrying about the little things until you’re sick.”

 

Brian didn’t miss the side glance Roger gave the others. She made a point. They were at the point in their careers that they couldn’t do everything themselves. They all dreaded the idea of putting any more pressure on Brian while he was still so sick.

 

“Maybe on a trial basis?” John offered and Roger rolled his eyes.

 

“Fine.”

 

Brian lay back on his pillows, eyes drooping a bit. “Glad that’s settled. Now, I’m quite tired if you all don’t mind.”

 

“Course not,” Freddie gave him a smile and clapped a hand on Roger’s shoulder, clearly trying to subtly pull him out of the room. “Get some rest Brian.”

 

Roger didn’t exactly fight the pull but he was a bit reluctant walking out, fixing both of them with a stare until the door closed. In no time Brian was falling asleep to the feeling of Lydia’s manicured nailed raking through his hair.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Freddie and John's first fight is over Paul.

_“The one with honeyed words but evil mind persuades the mob, great woes befall the state.”_

_-Euripides_

Paul…wasn’t that bad.

 

Freddie hated to admit it as Roger seemed determined to hate anything and everything that Lydia suggested but he wasn’t terrible. The manager was charming and…loathe he was to admit it, handsome. It was nice to be appreciated and some selfish part of him liked the way Paul fawned over him.

 

He was also helpful. He helped them avoid interviews about Brian’s condition and managed to get their guitarist a private room in a rather nice hospital. While Brian was on the mend he went above and beyond to make sure that the band was taken care of.

 

“Bless you darling,” Freddie let out in a rush as Paul appeared at his front door with Chinese takeout. “It’s like you read my mind before I even know what I want.”

 

“Part of my job,” Paul chuckled and shut the door behind him as Freddie walked into the flat. “Besides, I figured you had lost yourself a bit in your writing.”

 

John was perched on the couch, legs curled up underneath himself. His reptilian eyes followed the pair as they walked across the living room to the kitchen. Freddie didn’t miss the faint frown on his face but brushed it off. Dragons hoarded things and it led to John being a bit possessive.

 

“So, any masterpieces in works?” Paul asked brightly, handing John a plate that he just stared at. The gesture was so nice that Freddie felt awkward mentioning that John couldn’t stand tofu.

 

“Maybe one,” Freddie grabbed his well-worn notebook and flicked through the pages. Paul leaned in close, curious, and John’s eyes narrowed. “I started one about a woman…I’m thinking she’s a super fancy prostitute.”

 

“Sounds intriguing,” Paul hummed.

 

“Fred always was great at writing lyrics,” the jealousy was obvious in John’s tone and Freddie shot him a look.

 

“Clearly.”

 

“But now I’m a bit stuck,” he sighed dramatically and plopped down next to John on the couch. Instantly, the younger man stretched his legs out, so his socked feet were pressed into Freddie’s thigh.

 

Paul gave him a sympathetic smile. “Why don’t you eat then? Sometimes inspiration can be triggered by a full stomach.”

 

Seemed reasonable enough. Freddie groaned and snatched a dumpling from the box in Paul’s hands. The Irishman snapped his chopsticks at him, smiling teasingly. The dumpling did help, and he smiled as he chewed.

 

“If I’d have known you’d be this into the food I would have brought cake or something,” Paul laughed, and John’s toes pressed more firmly into his leg.

 

It was like a lightbulb went off. Freddie’s body jerked and a wide smile spread across his face as he snatched the pencil off the coffee table. The words flowed so easily, practically writing themselves.

 

“Let them eat cake she said, just like Marie Antoinette,” he read out. “Oh, this is fantastic. She’s all about the finer things. Caviar and champagne…maybe a Moet et Chandon.”

 

It felt like the song was coming to him piece after beautiful piece. Freddie had always dreamed of living like a king but was trapped in a cheap flat with hand-me-down clothes. This woman he was writing about was living a life he had always wanted…she just got that life in a nontraditional way.

 

“It’s always fascinating to watch a true artist at work,” Paul grinned.

 

“Well perhaps you’re my muse,” Freddie poked him in the arm with his pencil.

 

John went perfectly still at that, pencil stilling on his own paper. His anger was obvious in how the air around them got a bit warmer. Freddie let his hand drop to John’s calf and squeezed slightly but the younger man didn’t cool down at all.

 

Paul beamed at them, clearly oblivious at the tension in the room. “Well, I was going to go check in on Brian.”

 

“That’s very kind of you,” Freddie smiled.

 

“Us humans have to stick together,” Paul patted Freddie on the back. “It’s easy to feel lost when you’re surrounded by magic. Brian and I have to bond over something.”

 

“I’ll say Paul, we are so very lucky to have you,” the djinn grinned, and Paul blushed slightly.

 

The human grinned at them and stood up. “I’ll tell him that you say hi. Enjoy your songwriting. Let me know when you are wanting to record, and I’ll reserve the space.”

 

“You’re the best Paul!” Freddie called out after him as the human left with a wave. He smiled and turned to see John glowering at him, eyes sparked with flames. “What?”

 

“I’m surprised you’re not following him. Perhaps next time he’ll come with a bouquet of roses,” John grumbled, shifting further down on the couch.

 

“Are you jealous?” Freddie teased, smile fading when John didn’t respond like he had hoped.

 

“I just think it’s kind of fucked that he is here flirting with you when I’m right here,” John’s voice was airy but with a hint of strain. He didn’t even attempt to make eye contact and Freddie felt a twinge of annoyance.

 

“You are jealous,” Freddie scooted close and tried to wrap his arms around John’s waist, groaning when the dragon squirmed away. “Oh, come on John!”

 

John’s lips pursed. “I don’t appreciate you flirting back.”

 

“I wasn’t flirting! That’s just…my personality,” Freddie flapped his hand and John rolled his eyes. “I swear I wasn’t flirting back.”

 

The hum he got in response only made him more annoyed. “I don’t appreciate you getting jealous every time I talk to someone.”

 

“That’s stupid!” John jumped to his feet; eyes narrowed.

 

“What’s stupid is you wanting to control every fucking little thing!” Freddie snapped back. “I’m not some little coin that you keep in a cave and burn everyone who gets too close.”

 

The room went incredibly hot and John clenched his teeth together. “He’s a fucking snake Fred. There’s something wrong about him.”

 

“The thing that’s wrong with him is that he is being overly helpful and kind,” Freddie stood as well. Thin lines of smoke curled from his fingertips and twisted around his wrists. “And you’re jealous because you’re insecure.”

 

The heat vanished.

 

John stared at him blankly before spinning on his heel and storming to his room, slamming the door shut. Freddie shivered in the chill that was left behind and sighed. He wanted to follow John, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted to continue fighting or break down and pull John into his arms.

 

Instead he sat back down and grabbed his notebook.

 

The anger and tension left, leaving him feeling exhausted. Freddie leaned back to see John’s notebook still opened. His messy handwriting had scribbled out a few words and he squinted to try and read them.

 

_Don’t you know honey, that love is a game. It’s always hit or miss._

They had never fought before, and Freddie’s chest ached. It was a stupid, stupid argument and he regretted every word he said. Did John really feel this way? Did he really see their relationship as something that could fail?

 

Shit, he had to talk to him.

 

Freddie stood and trudged his way to John’s room, tapping his knuckled lightly on the door. There wasn’t a response, but Freddie pushed it open anyway, heart breaking at the sight of John curled up on his bed with tear streaks on his face.

 

“Hi,” he whispered but John ignored him. “I’m sorry.”

 

John didn’t respond, just curling up tighter into a ball. After a moment Freddie walked towards him and sat on the edge of the bed, placing a hand on his back. When he didn’t respond again Freddie let his other hand spread out on the bed. Shadows lengthened and took shape, turning into a little kitten that pranced towards John’s head. Instead of smiling John just waved his hand and made the smoke dissipate.

 

“I am very sorry John,” Freddie mumbled.

 

“What exactly are you sorry for?” Those burning eyes flicked towards Freddie. “Are you sorry for flirting with another man? Are you sorry for dismissing my feelings? Are you sorry for calling me immature?”

 

It always surprised him that his calm, quiet boyfriend could become so sharp and angry.

 

“I’m sorry for all of those things,” Freddie pressed a bit on his back. “Even though I wasn’t flirting.”

 

“Yeah you were,” John mumbled, digging his fingertips into the sheets until they left scorch marks.

 

“Why would I flirt with another man when you are right next to me? How could I find someone else so smart, witty, handsome, and funny?” He smiled as the tension left John’s shoulders. “And maybe it’s my fault that I haven’t been reminding you how amazing you are as much as I should. If you are insecure or doubting yourself, it is my fault. I should spend every minute telling you how amazing you are.”

 

“That would get super annoying,” John grumbled but a small smile quirked his lips up.    

 

Freddie leaned forward to press a kiss right behind John’s pointed ear. “Because no matter what I will never love him like I love you.”

 

“You love me?” Large green eyes went even bigger.

 

“Of course,” he leaned back as John sat up. The dragon smiled and leaned forward to press a sweet kiss to his lips. “How could I not?”

 

“I love you too,” John sighed against his lips.

 

And in that moment there was no one else. They were alone in this world, arms around each other and lips pressing together. The stress of sick friends, new people in their lives, and the upcoming due ddate for their album melted away.

 

It was just them.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Roger has to feed and learns a bit about himself in the process.

_“Wearing a mask wears you out. Faking it is fatiguing. The most exhausting activity is pretending to be what you know you aren’t.”_

_-Rick Warren_

The smoke was almost unbearably thick. The flashing lights colored the air around him, surrounding him in a multicolored haze. That combined with the pounding music made Roger feel like he was in a dream.

 

Strong hands traced down his ribs and settled on his hips, drawing him closer and swaying out of sync with the music. Roger let his head fall back to rest on a broad shoulder. His eyes stared up at the ceiling and his thoughts sifted through his brain like sand.

 

But that might have been the MDMA coursing through his veins.

 

Despite the drugs and the alcohol dulling his senses he was still horribly, terribly aware of the gnawing hunger that had settled behind his ribs. It had been so fucking long since he had last fed. Roger had tried to stave off feeding as long as possible, trying to revel in the lingering effects of the audience cheering for them but that energy was gone.

 

No more crowds.

 

No more adoring audiences.

 

Just hospital visits and small recording booths.

 

The club he had slipped into had been carefully picked out. It was well known as a place where people went to discover their deepest desires. Vampires drank in corners, pulling trembling humans into their laps. Werewolves flexed bulging muscles for swooning girls. Leprechauns grinned impishly as they traded favors for gold.

 

It was almost sad how many humans came in too thick eyeliner and skimpy clothes. They were all too willing to escape their mundane lives and take a risk with a supernatural.

 

It was a strange feeling, being the hunted instead of the hunter, but it wasn’t all that bad.

 

“So,” a high giggle reached his ears as a soft body pressed into his front. Roger let his eyes drift down to meet the gaze of a pretty brunette, finally focusing on her uneven eyeliner wings. “You can really make any fantasy come true?”

 

“Sweetheart, I am the fantasy,” he flashed her a dirty grin and the man against his back squeezed his hips again.

 

He normally didn’t like drugs. They made him feel out of control and that was a terrifying prospect. But…but he could hardly convince himself to step foot into the club without the fuzzy feeling drowning out the disgust he felt in himself.

 

The girl giggled again and stood on her tiptoes to kiss the man standing behind him over his shoulder. Very faintly, Roger could feel the lick of arousal in the pit of his stomach. It wasn’t satisfying in the least but a taste of what could come.

 

“Um…we’ve never done this but…” the girl’s eyes flicked nervously to him and the man behind him. “Do you want to come home with us?”

 

Roger hummed and let his own deft fingers slide up her sides until they were skating along her breasts. “And do what? Play chess? Want me to take your rook? Or maybe your queen will take mine?”

 

The man behind him laughed warmly and the girl giggled. “We got all kinds of games. We’ve got chess, parcheesi, even Stratego.”

 

“You had me at parcheesi,” he leaned back into the man, feeling the hunger lessen minutely at the press of the man’s erection into his lower back.

 

The couple grinned at each other again. Both of them took one of Roger’s hands in their own and he followed them out of the club into the cool night air. It was obvious they were nervous; despite the party drugs and alcohol they had consumed themselves. The atmosphere was light as they crowded into a taxi and Roger’s heart pounded, the promise of a good feeding making him feel almost dizzy.

 

“What’s your names?” He blurted out into the awkward silence of the taxi.

 

“Oh…I’m Anna and this is my boyfriend Ivan,” Anna smiled shyly at him. “And you’re Roger Taylor.”

 

A short bark of laughter ripped from his chest and he grinned at her. “And here I thought I was going to be anonymous.”

 

“The incubus drummer from Queen? We went to one of your shows during your first tour. You all are amazing!” Anna gushed and made a face at Ivan when he rolled his eyes. “I mean…this is something we joked about before…I just didn’t think it would ever happen.”

 

Roger could feel his hands trembling and blinked a few times to clear his fuzzy vision. “So…so you fantasized about being with me?”

 

The spike of arousal in the cab made him shiver. He had to feed so badly that his vision was warping a bit. He could see the sweat beading at both Anna and Ivan’s forehead, could see the thudding of blood under their skin, could see the minute way their pupils expanded.

 

Under all of it was the chemical scent of drugs, lingering like acrid smoke in his nose.

 

They arrived at the couple’s tiny townhome and Ivan ushered him in. The MDMA had worn off slightly, making him feel a bit disorientated. The drug induced arousal hung heavily around him and almost made him nauseous.

 

Maybe the attraction for him due to the drugs made him feel a bit less dirty than people with clear heads seeing him as…an object.

 

“Um…do you want something to drink?” Ivan asked and Roger shook his head. He didn’t want to wait. He _needed_ it too badly.

 

“No.”

 

If they noticed his shortness, they didn’t say anything. Ivan and Anna shared a truly naughty smile and ushered him into the bedroom.

 

When their lips first touched Anna’s he was famished.

 

When he sank his fingers deep into her and swallowed down her groan, he was starving.

 

When Ivan pushed against his hips as he snapped them into Anna, he was hungry.

 

When Ivan held him down on the bed and pounded into him, he was craving.

 

When Anna swallowed him down as Ivan flooded him with his cum, he was finally satisfied.

 

They lay in a heap of tangled limbs on the bed, sheets pulled free of the mattress’s corners and rumpled around them. Roger kept his eyes closed, fighting back waves of dizziness from the lingering effects of not only the drugs he had taken but the drugs he had absorbed through the feeding.

 

“That was fucking amazing,” Ivan breathed out and Anna let out an airy giggle. “Does it always feel like that with an incubus?”

 

_It isn’t always that pleasant._

“I don’t know,” he waved his hand, eyes still closed.

 

“Well, it was so good,” he stretched his legs out, then paused. “Was it alright Anna?”

 

“Mmmm, it was perfect love,” she hummed, and Roger could feel her stretch out a bit and then heard them kissing. A sharp, painful something pulled deep in his chest and he suddenly found himself crying.

 

“Oh shit,” Ivan gasped, their lips separating with a smack. “Shit! You okay man?”

 

Roger ground his hands into his eyes until he saw tiny fireworks spark behind his eyelids. “I’m…I’m _fine_. I’m completely fine.”

 

“Are you hurt?” Anna sounded a bit panicked and a fresh wave of tears came.

 

“No,” he managed to choke out. “I’m totally fine. This…fuck this is so embarrassing. I’m so fucking sorry…just…give me a second and I’ll go. I’m so, so sorry.”

 

Anna made a soft hushing sound and there was some shifting on the bed, but he still refused to move his hands away from his face. “It’s alright. It’s going to be alright.”

 

Gentle arms wrapped around him and he just melted into Anna’s touch. The tears came fast now as he choked on his sobs, trembling hard. Ivan awkwardly placed a hand on his back, and he tried to calm his racing heart.

 

“I’m so sorry,” he sobbed out. “I’ve never done this before. I’m so fucking embarrassed. I…I don’t know what’s going on.”

 

“It’s alright,” Anna cooed. “It’s fine. How about you take a shower and get cleaned up? I know I always feel better after a hot shower.”

 

Roger practically flung himself out of the bed and stumbled to the attached bathroom, shutting the door firmly behind him. Hot shame burned in his stomach and he pressed against the door. Shit, how the hell could he escape this unbearably uncomfortable situation? His fun threesome had led to a mental breakdown and now he was hiding from the couple in their bathroom.

 

Could things get worse?

 

He took an unbearably hot, incredibly long shower. The hunger in him had been satisfied but he felt strangely empty. Finally, the water ran cold and he really had no reason to stay in anymore. Roger turned off the water, cringing at the mumbled voices just outside the bathroom.

 

The couple gave him an awkward, nervous smile as he emerged from the bathroom. A large bath towel was wrapped around his waist and another around his shoulders, hiding him from view as he shuffled out.

 

“So…”

 

“Do you like hot chocolate?” Anna blurted, motioning to a mug shaped like a cat that sat on the bedside table. “It’s got mini marshmallows.”

 

“That’s so nice but I should go,” Roger picked his jeans up off the floor and shook them out. “I’ve made this like super awkward. I’m so sorry…thank you for…just thanks.”

 

Ivan stepped forward, a frown on his handsome face. “You don’t have to go. I’m not saying that we’re going to have round two or anything, but you still seem really upset. We both thought that maybe it wouldn’t be a good idea to be out on your own…you know?”

 

“Oh, I couldn’t…”

 

“Maybe it’s not what we expected for our first kinky foray, but we aren’t the kind of people to kick someone out in need,” Anna gave him a shy smile. “Just calm down a bit, drink some hot chocolate, and when you’re feeling better then you can leave.”

 

Roger hesitated and then nodded. They didn’t look judgmental or weirded out in the least and he found himself sitting on the bed, perched on freshly changed sheets. The hot chocolate was sweet and a little powdery, like it hadn’t been stirred properly, but it tasted divine.

 

“So, do you go picking up monsters for sex often?” He asked.

 

“Not monsters,” a blush rose on Anna’s cheeks. “It’s our fourth anniversary and we wanted to get out of our comfort zones. We’re pretty boring.”

 

“And instead of a steamy night of sex you got a stranger crying on your bed?” Roger raised an eyebrow and the couple sat on the bed, one on either side of him. “Sorry I ruined your night.”

 

“Well, it was a lot of fun at first,” Ivan teased. “Do you want to talk about what happened?”

 

“You don’t want to hear about it,” Roger mumbled, staring into the murky drink in his hand.  

 

“We’re actually both counselors,” Anna piped up. “That’s how we met. We spend our days helping people with their problems and we’ve gotten pretty good at it. If we can help, we’d like to.”

 

Roger slouched further down on the bed and sighed. “I’ll say this is the weirdest one night stand I’ve ever had.”

 

“Well, it’s our first. Are you saying they all don’t end sitting next to a supernatural rock star sipping on hot chocolate?” Anna teased and Roger laughed, the knot of tension releasing slightly.

 

“Fine…I guess I got overwhelmed,” he shrugged lightly, sipping at the sweet drink. “You two are super in love and all and it was a lot. I haven’t had to feed in so long and usually it ends in me just handing them a health center card and going on my way.”

 

“That sounds lonely,” Ivan hummed, and Roger poked his side.

 

“I’m not paying you for this. Don’t act like my shrink,” Roger stretched his legs out in front of him, wiggling his bare toes into the sheets. “People don’t treat me like the way you treat each other. The last…person who told me they loved me…I pushed them away. Then, when I realized that I could have a tiny bit of control they moved on. He’s happy now and I’m…I’m alone.”

 

“That…sucks,” Anna finally said.

 

“Right? People think being an incubus is great. They think it’s all about having sex whenever and wherever you want. Who wouldn’t want that?” Roger scoffed. “It’s the worst. I hate it. It’s cost me everything.”

 

Silence echoed in the room and he had to remind himself not to grip the mug so tightly. Finally, Ivan cleared his throat. “Do you still love him?”

 

“Yeah,” Roger didn’t even hesitate. “I do. That’s why…no offense, you two are lovely, but I hate feeding. It feels wrong.”

 

“That sucks,” Anna finally said and the three of them burst out laughing.

 

“It really, really does,” he was so used to people trying to convince him of feeling a certain way. It was so nice to just finally have someone validate his feelings. “But I’ll be okay.”

 

They sipped on their drinks in silence for a few long minutes before Ivan spoke up. “You don’t sound okay.”

 

It was weird. It was weird to have someone actually take an interest in _him._ It was weird to be under blankets with two other people sipping at hot chocolate after sex. It was weird because he could actually talk about his feelings and it wouldn’t make things weird.

 

So, he talked.

 

He talked about that night in the inn. He talked about the fight that followed. He talked about Brian showing up with Lydia. He talked about realizing he could feed off the crowd’s energy. He talked about how Brian had turned him away. He talked about how he was so scared still about Brian’s condition and how frightened he was that he would change his mind and let Lydia change him.

 

“But…it’s his decision isn’t it?” Anne said softly and got a glare in return.

 

“I guess but he makes stupid fucking decisions,” Roger grumbled.

 

The finished off their drinks and he smiled in thanks as Ivan took the empty mug and placed it on the bedside table. A strangely comfortable silence stretched out between them and Roger finally sighted, wiggling out from between them.

 

“I…thank you both,” he shuffled awkwardly, grabbing his jeans and pulling them on. “Really. I don’t get to see a lot of good people doing this.”

 

“I hope it kind of helped,” Anne said softly, smiling.

 

“You have no idea,” he leaned over to kiss them both lightly, smiling as he pulled back. “Thank you for giving a shit.”

 

“You deserve to have someone in your life give a shit,” Ivan sat up a bit more.

 

“I guess I do,” he pulled on his shirt. “I hope you two have a wonderful anniversary and the rest of it isn’t filled with crying bedmates. Oh! How about I give you both tickets to our next show.”

 

He grabbed a piece of paper off their cluttered desk and scribbled down Norman’s number. “Here’s our manager’s number. Just give him a call when we announce our next tour and he’ll hook you up.”

 

“Thank you!” Ivan grinned as he took the paper from him. “And Roger, stop punishing yourself for something that wasn’t your fault. You deserve to be happy.”

 

Something warm and full bloomed in his chest and Roger let his fingers wrap around Ivan’s, squeezing lightly. “Thank you again.”

 

He was still smiling when he practically fell into bed as soon as he got home.

 

The next morning Roger stumbled out into the kitchen, still in the jeans and tight shirt he had worn out to the club. He felt sluggish, hardly able to keep up with his own thoughts as he nibbled on a piece of toast.

 

“You look like absolute shit,” Freddie swept out into the kitchen, long silk patterned robe flowing out behind him. “Have a fun time last night?”

 

“The best.”

 

“Where did you even go last night?” Freddie ignored the sarcasm in his voice and put on the kettle, digging through the cabinet for their box of tea.

 

“That club down by the falafel shop you like,” he nodded when Freddie hummed. “I had to go feed.”

 

“I thought you didn’t have to do that anymore,” Freddie spun around, looking surprised.

 

Roger waved his hand, pinching the bridge of his nose to stave off another wave of nausea. “We’re not really playing for huge crowds these days are we? I can’t just wait around for months until our next tour.”

 

“I had no idea,” Freddie poured himself a cup of tea and took a seat next to him. “That must have been awful after so long of not having to do it.”

 

“It actually wasn’t that bad. The couple I went home with was super lovely,” he couldn’t help the grin at the whistle Freddie made. “They even made me hot chocolate after.”

 

“That’s ridiculous,” Freddie laughed, then his eyes narrowed. “But you’ve never been one to drink before a feeding.”

 

“Ah, it wasn’t alcohol. This is a come down after the ecstasy,” he rolled his eyes at the glare Freddie gave him. “None of that judgmental bullshit. I needed that kick in the ass to even step into the club and it helped. Plus, it makes everyone super horny so the whole process is a lot easier.”

 

“If you say so,” Freddie let out in a hum.

 

“I won’t do it again,” Roger blurted. “I don’t need to.”

 

“If you say so.”

 

“No…I’m done being ashamed of this bullshit,” he snapped. “It’s what I have to do to _survive._ I can’t keep holding out for love or whatever…I’m not some thirteen-year-old girl with a stupid romantic notion that I’m clinging to. I am an incubus, and this is what I must do. No amount of wishing I was different will change that.”

 

Freddie stared at him over the curling steam of his tea. He finally reached over to take this hand and sighed. There was a beat of silence and he squeezed his fingers lightly.

 

“I don’t need to rely on one person to be happy,” he said softly. “I can do that myself.”

 

“You seem to have had a life changing threesome,” Freddie smirked over the rim of his mug, fingers still intertwined with Roger’s on top of the table. Then, his slender fingers reached up to tap on Roger’s temple. “Want me to take care of this come down?”

 

He nodded and his eyes were momentarily clouded by shadows. The headache and tension melted away, making Roger sag with relief. He sighed and finally opened his eyes, smiling faintly at his friend.

 

“Better?”

 

“So much better.”

 

Freddie stood, bringing his empty mug to the kettle to make himself a second cup of tea. He knelt down to press a kiss to the top of Roger’s head. “I’m glad. You deserve to be happy and at peace with yourself.”

 

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Roger waved his hand dismissively. “But…don’t tell Brian that I’m feeding again. I’d rather he think I wasn’t doing that.”

 

Freddie nodded, his expressive eyes sad. “Of course.”

 

Anne and Ivan were right. He shouldn’t keep mourning what could have been. He deserved to be happy, to live a life he was proud of. Brian was happy with Lydia. Didn’t he deserve happiness too?


	14. Chapter 14

_“You cannot love a thing without wanting to fight for it.”_

_-Gilbert K. Chesterson_

 

Jealousy wasn’t cute.

 

Freddie had said that jokingly and John tried desperately to repeat it in his head as he watched his boyfriend laugh at something Paul had said. Thin tendrils of smoke curled up from the neck of his bass, fingers burning red where he clutched his instrument tightly.

 

A sharp pain blossomed across the back of his shoulder and he spun around, baring his teeth. Roger raised his eyebrow and lifted a hand, clearly asking for the stick he had thrown at him back. With a huff, John leaned down to grab the stick and stalked over to hand it back.

 

“Do you think you can actually light him on fire if you glare at him long enough?” He whispered, sly grin on his face.

 

“Oh, one can hope,” John grumbled back, and Roger let out a loud, bright laugh which got Freddie’s attention. It was a relief to see Roger act more like his old self, but he had forgotten how snarky his old self was. “Don’t throw stuff at me.”

 

“Terribly sorry ol’ terrible lizard of doom,” Roger raised both hands like he was almost praying.

 

“Terrible lizard is what they called a tyrannosaurus rex,” John snapped back. “And I’m not nearly as scary as them.”

 

“I don’t know about that. I’ve never seen such a horrible glare as the one you just shot me,” he gave an exaggerated shudder.

 

Freddie suddenly clapped and both of their heads snapped towards him. A wide smile spread across the djinn’s face, eyes sparkling. Next to him Paul looked a bit smug and John felt another uncomfortable twist in his stomach.

 

“Alright darlings!” He sang. “I think the main lyrics are finally there! Brian and I are going to go have a quick meeting with the label. Why don’t you both tighten up the rhythm section and then go rest.”

 

The visits to the record label officers were beyond awkward. There was a very clear anti-supernatural attitude from the management, including their own manager, so they were hardly taken seriously. One man had even refused to be in the same room as Roger because he had been scared that he would lose control. The way they looked at Freddie and John was even worse, like they would snap and destroy them. Every meeting they went to had to have Brian in them. The managers were hesitant to even meet with them unless their resident human was present.

 

Another reason John was beyond grateful that Brian hadn’t agreed to being turned.

 

To his great displeasure Paul just waved at Freddie and stayed behind. John didn’t hide his scowl and he noticed that Roger didn’t even try to hide rolling his eyes. The day manager hovered by the soundboard as Roger mindlessly tapped out some beats, drumsticks tracing along the rim of one of his drums.

 

“You know, you can go Paul,” John spoke up, not even able to stand looking at the human for a minute more.

 

“It’s alright,” the Irishman smiled blandly at them and he felt himself bristle. “I just want us to make sure that it’s what Freddie wants.”

 

_Like you know what Freddie wants._

 

The thought swirled dangerous and dark in John’s mind, his gums aching as his fangs started coming in. Paul still smiled faintly at them, blue eyes moving lazily between the two of them. “We don’t need a babysitter.”

 

“Of course not. It’s just part of my job to make sure that Freddie’s vision comes to life,” Paul sounded perfectly chipper. “So, perhaps you can start from the beginning?”

 

John was about to snap back but then Roger piped up. “Paul. Go home.”

 

A shiver ran through John as he heard the slight change in Roger’s voice. He saw the way the incubus’s eyes went a bit silver and a strange sense of smugness rushed through John. It was rare that Roger used his compelling. He must have hated Paul just as much as John did to cross that line.

 

“I’ll go home when we’ve got this part down,” Paul still had that infuriating smile on his face and Roger’s shoulders dropped. “Start from the beginning?”

 

John scowled down at his bass. Maybe it only worked when the person was attracted to Roger. Maybe his magic wasn’t as strong as he had thought. Maybe Roger was just tired after a day of playing. It was fine…they could suffer through a bit more time with-

 

“What the fuck are you?” Roger spat out and the room went perfectly silent.

 

“Excuse me?” The perfect smile was gone, replaced by careful blankness. “What are you on about?”

 

The incubus stood up slowly, eyes narrowed. “You’re not fucking human. What are you?”

 

Understanding crashed over John in a hot wave and he gaped at Paul. It wasn’t that Roger wasn’t strong enough, it was that the magic _couldn’t_ work on Paul. They stood in silence, Paul’s blue eyes lazily moving from one to the other before he smiled again.

 

“Roger, maybe now is a good time to take a break. You’re clearly upset and tired,” his voice was sickly sweet. “We can start up again in the morning, yeah?”

 

“Oh no,” John took a few steps forward and felt a sick sense of satisfaction when Paul shrank back a bit. “We’re not done talking.”

 

God, he wanted to let out the monster that lingered under his skin. He wanted fangs to burst from his gums and claws to split from his fingertips. He wanted to feel wind rushing from under his wings. He wanted to see Paul looking at him in absolute terror before he burnt him alive.

 

“I think we are,” the fear vanished.

 

Roger stepped up next to him, equally angry. “You’ve been lying to us all. What the fuck are you?”

 

“And if I was lying, which I’m not, what could you do?” Paul cocked his head and raised his eyebrows. “Run off to tattle to Brian and Freddie? How would that go? Brian’s already tired of your pathetic little games Roger. This might be the thing to push him away completely. No one likes a desperate slut.”

 

He just smirked when Roger’s features sharpened, teeth flashing white as he bared his teeth in a snarl.

 

“And John? Freddie’s already done with you,” Paul turned icy eyes to John. “He told me he thought you were cute and sweet but…I’m sorry dear, you’re boring him. You’re young and inexperienced. Plus, you’re annoyingly jealous and he’s feeling tied down.”

 

“Stop with your fucking lies!” Roger snapped.

 

“I’m not lying. You go and tell him…whatever you think you know, and he’ll walk away. We all know the real talent of this little group is Freddie. Once he gets tired of you, he’ll leave and this will all be gone,” Paul shrugged and gave them a small smile.

 

John felt flames licking at his chest, wanting burst out and destroy everything. “You’re wrong.”

 

“Maybe. Maybe I’m wrong,” Paul grabbed a few papers off the table and placed them in his briefcase. “But what if I’m not? Are you both really ready to lose everything on an unfounded theory? There’s a possibility I’m not a human but there’s also a possibility that you’re just weak and your magic didn’t work. I’ll let you make that choice. Ciao.”

 

He gave them a wave and sauntered out, shutting the door behind him with a sharp click.

 

All John wanted to do was run after him and rip him to shreds. He started storming after him but Roger grabbed his elbow, pulling him back.

 

“Stop.”

 

“We can’t fucking stop! We have to go after him and…we have to end this!” John shouted but Roger shook his head, looking shaken and exhausted. “Roger!”

 

“We can’t. He’s right…he and Lydia have to be working together and if we…we could ruin everything if we aren’t smart about this. You and me, we have to help them,” his bright eyes seemed almost brighter. “We just have to be smart. We can’t just run in and…we have to figure out what we’re dealing with. We don’t know what he is, and he could hurt Freddie.”

 

“So, we just play along? We let him win?” John knew he was sounding a little hysterical.

 

“No fucking way,” Roger shook his head and his eyes went even icier. “But we can’t risk everything.”

 

John ground his teeth and glared at the closed door. As much as he hated it, he knew Roger was right. If they made the wrong move they could lose both Brian and Freddie.

 

Let Paul think they were under his thumb.

 

Let him think they were scared.

 

Let him think they weren’t going to fight.

 


	15. Chapter 15

_“When you can accept yourself as you are and accept others as they are, you will finally have peace.”_

_-Owm’r_

 

Brian liked Lydia.

 

She was truly beautiful, looking like an old fashioned movie star with her shiney curls and red lips. There was a witiness to her humor that he really enjoyed and she actually took an interest in him. She enjoyed listening to him rant about the latest article he read in his astronomy journals or talked him through some of his writer’s block when he was writing a song. Lydia was the perfect girlfriend.

 

Most of all, she loved him. She would smile at him so sweetly and whisper it or pant it out through bloodied lips late at night. She truly, truly loved him.

 

And he guiltily didn’t feel the same.

 

Could he spend the rest of his life with her? Perhaps. Maybe he could learn to be happy with her and might fall in love with her one day. He hoped it would happen, she deserved it.

 

So, if he was trying so desperately to move on why couldn’t he?

 

It mostly had to do with the incubus standing outside of his door, easy smile on his face. Roger had changed in the past few weeks. He smiled more and seemed happier in general. He carried himself differently too, shoulders straighter and firmer like he was not trying to hide anymore.

 

Of course, that newfound happiness still soured whenever he came across Lydia.

 

“You ready to go?” Roger asked, jiggling his keys with their stupid keychains in one hand. His silver-bue eyes flicked from his face to Lydia who was lounging on the couch, magazine held lightly in her hands.

 

“Where are you going?” Lydia asked, polite tone at odds with the sharpness in her gaze.

 

“My appointment,” Brian grabbed his coat off the back of a chair and Lydia’s eyes narrowed. She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. “You said that you were going to visit a restaurant later and I didn’t know how long it would take. Rog said he would drive me.”

 

“That was awfully kind of him,” She said shortly and Roger’s smile turned mean.

 

“You can go next time love,” he fixed her with a long look and she shrank back with a pout, clearly annoyed. “But, shall we?”

 

With an apologetic smile, Brian pecked Lydia on the lips and followed his friend down the hall of their building. Roger’s beloved car was parked just a bit down the road but still it made Brian feel a bit out of breath. The recovery had been maddingly slow and painful. At least his arm had healed enough to play a bit but the pain overwhemed him at times.

 

His bandmates had been incredibly helpful, moving their schedule around to let him have as much rest as he could. It was delaying the release of the album, something that Brian hated but they didn’t seem at all angry about it. He couldn’t be more grateful for their support.

 

“What’s this appointment for?” Roger asked, squinting a bit at the road as he started up the car. It used to worry Brian but he had come to have some minute trust in his friend’s driving ability. While Roger drove erattically (and Brian had tried to tell him that humans were a bit more fragile than he was) he had never gotten into an accident.

 

“I’m chatting with the doctor about changing up my meds,” Brian leaned back against the headrest, rubbing at his arm. “They’re making it impossible for me to do anything. I’m so drowsy and out of it. I feel like a ghost half the time.”

 

Roger hummed and sat quietly for a long moment. “Drowse would be a great song name.”

 

“You’re a moron.”

 

A smile quirked at the corners of Roger’s lips and he took another screeching turn. When they finally got to the hospital Brian felt a twinge of carsickness but he brushed it off, following Roger as he walked into the building. They wandered down the hallways, only getting turned around once, before they found his doctor’s office tucked away.

 

“Hello!” The smiling woman at the reception desk glanced up at them. “Are you here for an appointment?”

 

“Last name is May,” Brian handed her his identification card and she took it with a smile.

 

“And you sir?” She glanced to Roger.

 

“Oh, he’s just here for moral support,” Brian nudged Roger who rolled his eyes and fished his ID out of his wallet as well.

 

“I understand but we have a new policy in place that states we check all visitor’s IDs,” she gave them a sympathetic look. “I am terribly sorry for the inconvience.”

 

Roger handed her the slim plastic rectangle and shrugged. For a moment the easy-going atmosphere made Brian forget what was written underneath Roger’s name. The reality of it came crashing down when he saw the woman’s eyes lock on the tiny ‘SUPERNATURAL – INCUBUS (P)’ written underneath his name.

 

“I…I’m sorry sir but you can not accompy your friend into the office,” she glanced up at them. “But I can call in security and have them wait with you in our waiting room.”

 

“What? Why?” Brian frowned.

 

The woman looked uncomfortable. “We don’t allow supernaturals labeled as pretatory into our offices or in our waiting rooms unsupervised.”

 

“That’s fine,” Roger caught Brian’s eye and shook his head shortly. “I understand.”

 

Brian didn’t understand. He wanted to pitch a fit about the unfairness of it. She was refusing to look Roger in the eye, like any moment he would spell her into doing something she didn’t want to do. One little line on his ID card changed everything for him. Then, he saw how Roger wasn’t even all that bothered. This was something he was used to, a part of his life that Brian had never even considered.

 

It made him achingly, horribly sad.

 

They took a seat and a large security guard slipped in, giving the receptionist a wave before settling down in a chair across the waiting room from them. His eyes were fixed on Roger but the blond didn’t seem to care. He rambled on and on about one of the songs they were working on and humming out guitar parts he had thought up for Brian to record when he felt up to it.

 

It was a strange thing to be watched so closely when they were talking like normal.

 

The doctor called him back shortly and he gave Roger’s shoulder a little squeeze as the blond reached over to snag a magazine off of the table. The doctor, a friendly middle aged man, made small talk as they got set up in the examination room. He asked a range of questions about the pain in his arm and lingering symptoms of the hepatitis. Then he moved to poke and prod at various parts of him before settling into his chair.

 

“We can absolutely try a new pain medication,” he wrote the perscription in barely legible writing, ripping out the script and handing it to Brian. “This one will hopefully help. Are you planning on going into the studio soon?”

 

“I hope so,” Brian gave him a small smile. “I feel so guilty that I haven’t been able to record with the boys. They’ve done so much to try and make this transition easier for me.”

 

The doctor hummed, clearly thinking of something else before clearing his throat. “I need to ask you one question Mr. May and please don’t take offense to this…your friend, Mr. Taylor I believe, is an incubus correct?”

 

“He is,” Brian felt his blood run hot, making his face burn.

 

“Do you feel like you are safe around him? I always need to ask when my patient is away from a potential abuser so that they don’t feel like their answer needs to be altered,” his eyes were kind but the voice he was using grated on Brian’s nerves.

 

“Roger is my best friend. He had never hurt me before,” the doctor looked a bit surprised at the harsh tone.

 

“I understand, it is just a question I have to ask anyone who comes in with a predetory supernatural,” the doctor sniffed and scribbled something on his chart. “Again, sorry to offend.”

 

“Well, it was offensive,” Brian was usually one to let things go but he wasn’t about to let this slide. He had seen the resignation on Roger’s face and he couldn’t stand the way this man was talking about his friend. “In fact I think it’s a bit bigotted to say those things. Roger didn’t make a choice to be what he was, it’s not right of you to treat him like a rabid dog.”

 

The doctor frowned, clearly taken aback. “Of course.”

 

“Is this all I need?” Brian lifted the script and jumped to his feet when the doctor nodded, dumbfounded. “Great. Thank you.”

 

He turned on his heel and left quickly, slamming the door behind him. The receptionist looked up in surprise but he ignored her. Brian sidestepped the security guard and grabbed Roger’s sleeve, pulling him to his feet. “Come on, let’s go.”

 

“You alright?” Roger frowned, following him closely.

 

“People are just dicks,” Brian spat out and got a chuckle in response. “I mean…Jesus, do people normally treat you like that?”

 

Roger’s easy smile faded and he looked uncomfortable for a bit. He reached back to rub at his neck and then let out a completely humorless laugh, his expression shuttered and blank. “It’s fine.”

 

“It’s not! They were treating you like you were a bomb about to go off!” Brian snapped and got a sigh in response.

 

“Yeah, it’s terrible. I can’t go into certain bars or go into certain places. I’m treated like a threat when all I might want is a fucking pint or to bring my friend to the doctor. It’s just the way it is and it’s not going to change,” Roger let out in a rush, clearly done with the conversation.  “Funny, just a few weeks ago you were so willing to join this lifestyle.”

 

A chill ran through Brian at that. “I didn’t…”

 

“Hmm, but you were,” Roger hummed and lifted his chin, jamming his keys into the door. “And it’s fine. People are always so spellbound by the stupid romantic stories that they don’t think about little shit like this. Dracula or Carmella aren’t nearly as fantastical when you think about the prejudice they might have faced.”

 

They slipped into the car and Roger started it, not even glancing at Brian. Finally, Brian couldn’t help but speak up. “I’m sorry…not just for that but…for treating it the way I did.”

 

Roger was quiet for a moment. “It’s fine Brian.”

 

“It’s really not,” Brian sank down in his chair. “I talked to Lydia earlier this week. I told her that I wouldn’t ever want to turn. Today just solidified that decision.”

 

This time Roger actually pulled his car over and put it in park on the side of the road. He fully turned to face Brian, face serious and slightly pained. “Don’t make that decision just because of me.”

 

“I didn’t,” Brian hesitated before reaching across the center console and placing his hand on Roger’s arm. “I got so…I didn’t consider all the consequencs of turning. I’m sorry I ever asked you to do that, it wasn’t fair. Maybe there’s more stuff I have to work through.”

 

Roger gave him a long look before reaching a cool hand up to cup his cheek for a moment. “I promise you’ll be so much happier.”

 

The touch only last a few moments before Roger pulled away but Brian could still feel the imprint of his fingers against his cheek. Roger was so good at hiding how he really felt but now he was leaving it all bare. He looked so relieved that an ache settled behind Brian’s ribs.

 

“You seem happier too,” Brian blurted out and Roger smiled, looking almost bashful. Ever since they had returned to London he had been so worried that Roger would have to feed again. He had expected to see the same self hate and anger that had been a part of their drummer for so long. Instead, he seemed sure of himself and more confident than he had ever seen him. Something had changed.

 

“I guess I’m just accepting who I am finally.”

 

“Yeah, me too,” Brian grinned and Roger turned the keys again.  


	16. Chapter 16

“Found it!” Roger crowed triumphantly, stabbing his finger into the page he was on. “He’s a Karakasa-Obake!”

 

John perked up at that and pulled his pen from behind his ear, poising it over his paper. “Perfect. What is that?”

 

“A mythical ghost from Japanese folklore that is usually depicted as being an umbrella with one leg, one eye, and a very long tongue. They are supposed to be what old umbrellas turn into,” he glanced up with a wide grin which only grew wider at John’s blank stare.

 

“Why would you think Paul is an umbrella ghost?”

 

“Because it’s stupid and he’s stupid,” Roger smirked and then ducked to avoid getting hit by a flying pen. “Oh come on! There are millions of supernatural beings in the world. How the hell are we supposed to figure out what Paul is?”

 

John scowled down at the scribbled notes he had made. It was true. What they had figured out so far didn’t really amount to much.

 

**_Paul_ **

 

  * __Sneaky__


  * _Human appearing_


  * _Able to go into the sun_


  * ~~_Dick_~~


  * _Able to eat real food_



 

 

**_Possibilities:_ **

 

  * __Vampire? Would make sense how he knows Lydia__


  * _Demon? Would explain the general evilness_


  * _Basilisk?_ ~~ _He’s an ugly motherfucker_~~


  * _Goblin? Greedy and ~~obnoxious~~_


  * _Ogre?_ ~~ _Limited intelligence and ugliness_~~ _Come on Roger, try to be serious._



 

 

Nothing. They had not decided on a single thing. Roger had suggested they try and figure it out through trial and error by feeding him things or exposing him to things that could be dangerous. However, ever since that night when they figured it out Paul had become Freddie’s shadow and their leading man seemed perfectly happy to defend him. 

 

It was driving John completely insane. 

 

He hated the smug smile on Paul’s face when they walked into the room, Freddie laughing at something he had just said. The djinn would stare at him like he hung the stars in the sky. He would joke that because of Paul they were better than ever and unfortunately none of them could disagree. 

 

They were better than ever. Their songs had a new depth that was getting attention from the media and recording studios. Their concerts were almost always sold out, something that Roger was beyond thankful for as he didn’t have to seek out people to feed on. 

 

Still, John hated seeing Paul’s smug smile as he walked in. He flipped the page of their notebook to the lyrics he had been scribbling down, wanting to hide their notes. Roger, subtle as always, rolled his eyes and scoffed. 

 

“Boys! You’ll never believe what Paul did for us!” Freddie’s eyes were bright and so, so happy. “He got us recording space at Ridge Farm! We are going to be able to go, just us and record our next album!”

 

John’s breath caught at that. Going out to the country to play music? Being able to stretch his wings and just be with the people he loved most? That sounded like heaven. 

 

“Are you going?” Silver-blue eyes locked on Paul and narrowed.

 

“You’ll need a manager,” Paul grinned and John’s heart fell. “But, and I’m sure you’ll be heartbroken, Lydia is going to not be able to join us. She’s opening a new restaurant.”

 

“Tragic,” Roger said dryly. 

 

“But maybe we’ll have to record all the drums and backup vocals here since you won’t be able to come with us,” Paul gave him a pout and Roger’s body went incredibly still. His eyes narrowed further. 

 

“What the hell does that mean?”

 

Paul had schooled his face into a surprised expression. “Terribly sorry Roger, I thought you would know. It’s pretty far out in the country and it would be so hard for you to feed.”

 

For a moment there was only silence before Roger turned to Freddie, looking stunned. “So, you’re fine with that Fred?”

 

“...well, it is one of the premier recording studios,” Freddie looked a little unsure and Roger’s face went thunderous. 

 

He stood up quickly, books falling to the ground around him. He turned to Paul with a snarl, eyes glowing faintly. “This is your idea you prick. I am not fucking staying here. You’re not splitting us up one at a time.”

 

“Roger, that’s not what this is,” Freddie tried to argue but Roger didn’t even look at him. 

 

“Oh it is. First it’s this then it’s the rest of us. He’s going to get that fanged bitch to turn Brian and then he’s going to get you to push John away,” Roger clenched his hands into fists. “He’s a snake. He’s a fucking virus in this band and he’s going to be the death of it.”

 

“Don’t be so fucking dramatic!” Freddie rolled his eyes and jumped when Roger took a threatening step forward. 

 

“I’m going to this fucking farm. I can take care of myself,” Roger glared at them both as if threatening them to say anything. “I’m not going to sit at home while you make this album and then phase me out.”

 

“You sure everyone will be safe if you come?” Paul asked and everyone knew he was talking about Brian. 

 

“I can’t promise your safety Paulie,” Roger sneered. 

 

\--

 

They got to the farm two weeks later and John was just about  _ done _ .

 

Brian had been equally horrified by Paul’s behavior and it felt good to have another person on their side. He had actually listened to them when they explained their suspicions and agreed to help them figure out what he was. 

 

Despite the way Paul seemed to want to be attached at the hip with Freddie, John still pulled him outside on their first night there. The older man grinned as John led him through the small field to the trees lining it. 

 

“You don’t have to get me all secluded lovie,” Freddie smirked, wrapping his arms around John’s waist when they lost sight of the house. “But I’m liking it.”

 

John grinned up at him and kissed him lightly, feeling his heart pounding in his chest. “I want to show you something.”

 

“Sounds like a fun idea,” Freddie laughed and leaned in for another kiss but was stopped by a hand on his chest. “What were you thinking?”

 

“So...this is my human skin, right?” A blush rose on his cheeks and Freddie cocked his head to the side. “I want to show you my true form.”

 

Freddie’s smile faded. “Oh John, are you sure?”

 

He nodded slightly. Showing one’s true form was incredibly daunting. It was as vulnerable as he could be and it terrified him but Freddie was worth it. He wanted Freddie to know how much he trusted and loved him. 

 

With a deep breath he stepped back and rolled his shoulders a bit. Freddie remained quiet, small smile on his face as John undressed and carefully folded his clothes. 

 

It had been so long since he had gone into his true form that it took some time before he could really get the transformation going. It started with a prickle in the center of his back and his face screwed up in concentration. Then he gasped as he felt something lengthen in his back. His legs and arms were next with the tingling sparks, making him fall to his knees. 

 

Freddie started forward, looking worried, but he shook his head. It felt like taking off too tight boots or peeling wet clothes off of himself. It felt freeing in a way that nothing else did. Then he shook himself off, got to his clawed feet, and looked Freddie in the eye. 

 

He knew what he looked like as a dragon. He was smaller than most, maybe just a bit bigger than a horse. His scales were a bit of a opalescent green, shimmering in the setting sunlight that came between the leaves. He had a long curving neck and his face was rather long as well, topped off with two curving golden horns. His wings were what was really impressive. They were long and delicate, scales becoming gold the closer they got to the tips. John stretched them out a bit before turning his eyes towards Freddie.

 

The djinn looked awestruck, jaw slightly dropped open. Carefully, he stepped forward and reached a hand out. John closed his eyes as timid fingers brushed against his nose and then curved around his muzzle.

 

“Oh God John,” Freddie sighed softly. “You are fucking beautiful. You are a wonder.”

 

If he could have smiled he would have. Freddie pet him gently, sliding his fingers along the smooth scales. He had a look in his eyes that John had never seen anyone have before. It was a look he had not gotten in a long, long time. 

 

Freddie leaned forward to press his forehead against John’s, pressing his lips to the scales there. “You are a treasure John. Thank you for showing me this.”

 

John couldn’t answer in this form but he knew exactly what he would have said. 

 

_ Anything for you.  _


	17. Chapter 17

Things had gotten tense.

 

Brian never considered himself particularly observant but anyone could sense the awkwardness in the farmhouse. Ever since Roger and John had approached him and told him about their conversation with Paul he tried to keep a closer eye on the Irishman. 

 

He had even tried talking to Lydia about it since she had known him the longest but she brushed him off. 

 

_ “For God’s sake Brian. You know that those two will twist and manipulate anything to get their way.” _

 

But...he wasn’t so sure. 

 

There was something off about Paul. The way he acted around them was so different from the way he acted around Freddie. Their friend seemed strange around him as well, in a way that made them all feel uncomfortable. 

 

He was getting short with them. He was brushing off their opinions and plain out ignoring John. Brian could see the hurt in their young dragon’s eyes but they were all a bit nervous to say anything, not wanting to start a fight. 

 

“Gents!” Freddie almost danced into the room, manic smile on his face. “You will never believe what our dear Paul got!”

 

“Herpes?” Roger mumbled, turning the page on his newspaper. 

 

Freddie just ignored the snide remark and flapped his hand towards him. “No! He got us all new props, instruments and a stage set up for our next tour! We even have a bus! We’re going to be living like true rockstars!”

 

John, ever the realist, stared at him in disbelief. “How in the hell are we paying for that? We can barely afford our rent! That’s...that’s thousands of pounds!”

 

Freddie blinked at him and Brian got a strange feeling like he wasn’t really  _ looking _ at his friend. “He’s the brains behind the money.”

 

“No. I am,” John argued, hands curling around his tea cup. “I’m in charge of finances. This seems like a pretty big fucking decision.”

 

Paul slipped into the room like the snake Roger always called him. His pale eyes moved lazily around the room before locking on Freddie, a faint smile quirking at his lips. Roger’s paper finally lowered so he could fully look at the others as well. An awkward silence followed before Paul cleared his throat. 

 

“I found a little trinket and sold it,” he shrugged.

 

All Brian felt in that moment was confusion. What little trinket was he talking about? What trinket could possibly make that much money? 

 

It seemed like John knew.

 

Green eyes went impossibly wide and his mouth dropped open. John sat perfectly still for a moment before springing to his feet, knocking his chair over, and then sprinting up the stairs to his and Freddie’s room.

 

“What’s got him all in a tiff?” Paul asked lightly. 

 

Roger narrowed his eyes and fully dropped his paper, standing next to his chair. “What did you do?”

 

He never got his answer as a scream of pure, absolute despair echoed through the house. John ran down the stairs, almost skipping half of them, and turned on Paul completely. 

 

“Where. The. Fuck. Is. It?” He snarled.

 

Brian actually got out of his chair and backed up a few steps. John was trembling with rage, eyes glowing with a flame from within. He looked so much like the terrifying creatures in stories that he struggled to see his friend for a moment.

 

“John darling-” Freddie stepped between them and John turned his fury on him instead.

 

“You told him? You told him about the brooch?” He shook violently, smoke curling from his bared teeth. “He fucking sold it Fred! He took it and sold it!”

 

Brooch? Brian had no idea what in the hell John was talking about but it had to be bad. He had never, ever seen suck betrayal and heartbreak on someone’s face before. Freddie didn’t say a word in response and the anger seeped a bit out of John, replaced by pure sadness. 

 

“I can’t believe you told him about it.”

 

Freddie tried to give him a reassuring smile but John shook off the comforting hand he attempted to lay on his shoulder. “Honey, we needed the money.”

 

“It...you knew that was important to me,” John’s voice cracked and Roger bristled a bit in the corner at that, now turning his glare to Freddie.

 

Tears dripped off John’s cheeks to sizzle on the hardwood, singing little dots on the floor. He sucked in a few deep breaths and pressed a hand to his chest like he was trying to stop a deep pain. 

 

“I just wanted to help John,” Paul tried to say but was stopped by Roger’s fist shooting out and slamming into his face. The manager stumbled back, grunting a bit and Freddie shoved Roger away. 

 

“Stop this!”

 

Roger stared at him in disbelief. “Are you fucking kidding Fred? Who’s side are you on? This fucker who sold something the supposed love of your life treasured or the actual guy who’s loved you despite the asshole you’ve turned into?”

 

The silence that followed was clearly answer enough for John and he curled in on himself like he had been suckerpunched in the stomach. 

 

“You...you grant wishes right Fred? That’s your thing?” John choked out and Freddie looked at him, clearly lost. 

 

“John...”

 

“I wish you had never met this monster,” he hissed, glaring at Paul. “I wish he had never come and poisoned this family. I wish he had never twisted your mind.”

 

“That’s not how it works.”

 

“I wish you still loved me,” John whispered and Freddie froze. 

 

Their frontman’s hand was still on Paul’s shoulder where he had steadied him. For a moment it looked like he was going to go to John, was going to pull him into his arms and comfort him. Then, Paul snaked a hand up and covered Freddie’s and that moment was over. 

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

John stumbled a bit, a soft wounded sound escaping him. He stared at Freddie before spinning on his heel and rushing out the back door. There was a heartbeat and then a rustle of wings and Brian knew he was gone. 

 

“You’ve killed the band,” he breathed, finally getting Freddie’s attention. “You’ve killed what you and John had. I hope it was worth...this.”

 

He grabbed Roger’s elbow and pulled the younger man out before he could snap and twist either one of their necks. The incubus’s body shook with rage but he too seemed heartbroken about what just happened. 

 

“What the fuck do we do?” The incubus whispered, hands clenching and unclenching into fists. “We kill him right? Break whatever fucking spell he’s cast on Fred.”

 

“This ends. He’s gone too fucking far,” Brian shook his head, curls flying around his face. “I’ll call Lydia and make her tell me what the fuck is going on. I think she’s hiding it from me.”

 

Roger looked at him strangely. “You do?”

 

He thought back to how standoffish his girlfriend had been the last time he talked on the phone with her. He thought about how she kept changing the topic whenever he brought up his concerns about Paul. 

 

“Yeah,” he paced a bit and then hurried to the phone in the corner of the studio. His hand hovered a bit before he picked it up and dialed the now familiar number. 

 

Roger perched himself on the edge of the table, chewing on his thumbnail, and watched nervously. The phone rang a few times before Lydia’s sweet voice met his ear. 

 

“Hello?”

 

“It’s me,” his voice sounded gruff and he flinched a bit. “I need you to tell me about Paul.”

 

“Paul?” Lydia asked, confused. 

 

“What is he? He’s not human, I know that,” the silence on the other end infuriated him. “Damn it Lydia! Tell me what he is!”

 

“Why the hell do you care? Queen is all about being all inclusive of all supernatural types, what does it matter what he is?” She snapped and his hand clenched tight around the receiver. He glanced up to see Roger watching him carefully. 

 

“I care because he’s dug his claws into Freddie,” his voice raised into a shout and Lydia remained silent. “Talk!”

 

Roger jumped at his raised voice and he leaned further back against the counter, fiddling with his shirt sleeve. “Fine. He’s not human.”

 

“I figured that. What is he?”

 

“He’s a leanan sidhe,” Lydia let out in a breath, almost like he was annoying her. “It’s a kind of vampire from Ireland.”

 

“So what the fuck is that?” He snapped his fingers a few times and Roger scrambled for a pad of paper and a pen, handing it over quickly. 

 

“There’s not many of them and they think they’re so high and mighty. They’re muses. They inspire art and music but that inspiration comes at a cost. It drains the artist until...well, until there’s nothing more to give. Then the leanan sidhe drinks its blood and moves on to the next victim,” Lydia said in short, angry words. “Happy now?”

 

Brian just felt numb. “Did you know?”

 

“Did I know he targeted Freddie? Yes of course. He knew that Freddie had the potential of creating some of the most beautiful music ever heard. It’s a fair trade off if you ask me,” her boredom in their conversation made Brian sick to his stomach. “Come on sweetie, you can’t tell me he’s that upset? It’s not a bad way to go.”

 

“How can you say that?” He breathed. 

 

“Brian, I’ve told you. Once you become better than human you stop worrying about these little things. You just-”

 

“We’re done,” Brian blurted out and Roger stiffened. 

 

“What?”

 

“I...I can’t do this. I’m done.”

 

She was quiet on her end. “Brian, don’t be stupid. You’ll see I’m right. Once you agree to let me turn you, you’ll see I’m right. You’ll have such improved dexterity and you’ll be young and beautiful forever. I’m helping you become a literal  _ rock god _ if you-”

 

He slammed the receiver down, heart pounding in his chest. Everything had been a lie. There was no love between Lydia and him. She had just wanted someone famous to latch onto so she could take advantage of that. Being her fledgeling under her control was just a bonus. 

 

“Brian? Are you okay?” Roger had stepped away from the counter, eyes wide and worried. 

 

“I’m just great. He’s...some kind of vampire and he’s leeching off Freddie. I don’t know how but he’ll use him until he kills him,” the absolute horror on Roger’s face made something dark settle in his chest. 

 

“Okay...okay...shit,” Roger hissed out, a flurry of emotions crossing over his face. 

 

“So, let’s go find John, tell him, and light that fucker up.” 


	18. Chapter 18

Flying was such an amazing feeling. 

 

He loved the feeling of his wings beating through the air, the wind slicing past his face. He loved climbing higher and higher into the sky as he chased the stars. It felt freeing in a way nothing else did. 

 

In the way being with Freddie used to feel. 

 

He had never been able to cry in his true skin, had never really needed to, but if there was ever the time now was the time. His heart felt like it was actually breaking, sharp shards embedding themselves into his lungs and rib muscles so they screamed with every heartbeat. Even his flying was affected. He wasn’t gracefully looping through the air but rising and falling in jerky motions. 

 

Finally, he all but crash landed onto a sturdy looking tree and changed back. He sagged against the trunk, bark biting into his bare skin, and wept. Tears smoked where they splashed onto the leaves and his gulps of air felt hot in his throat. 

 

He had been so stupid. So stupid to believe that someone as magical as Freddie could ever love him. Dragons never won in stories. They were monsters, unlovable, and just an obstacle in the way of true love. 

 

And he had been slain.

 

John knew that some of his ancestors he swords and spears thrust into their hearts only to have their heads ripped from their necks and displayed in castles. He imagined the pain he was feeling right now was comparable to a sword to the chest.  

 

“John!” A distant shout met his powerful ears but he just huddled against the tree. Let him hide away in solitude like the other dragons. Clearly they knew more than him.

 

“John!” Another shout. “Deaks!” 

 

“Stop,” he hissed, mostly to himself as no one else could hear him. “Just leave me the fuck alone. Stop.”

 

The shouts didn’t stop though. They were getting louder and now he could recognize the distinct rasp of Roger’s voice and the melodious tone in Brian’s. No matter how hard he tried to ignore them, to hide from the men clearly trying to find him, they kept coming. 

 

“For fuck’s sake John!” They were almost under his tree now. “Come on!”

 

“We need to you help Freddie.”

 

“Freddie doesn’t want help!” John shouted back, startling his pursuers into silence for a moment. 

 

“He’s under some...spell of some sort. We know what Paul is and we need you to help stop him. Come help-” Roger’s shout broke off into a shout as John dropped in front of them with a flurry of wings. “Christ! You’re like a giant bat!”

 

“You know what he is?” John just raised his eyebrows. 

 

Brian nodded furiously, curls bouncing with the movement of his head. “He’s a...lemon...”

 

“Leanan sidhe,” Roger gave him an exasperated look. “A kind of fairy. They act as muses, inspiring artists only to drain them of their creativity. Once they’ve had their fill they drain their blood and kill them.”

 

John stared at him in absolute, raw horror. “What?”

 

“He’s using Freddie, the same way Lydia was using me. They see the potential in the band and they want to use our abilities to help themselves,” Brian scowled. “He’s a parasite and we need to get rid of him.”

 

How long had Freddie been under his thrall? What poison had Paul poured into him? How much more was  he planning on taking from their singer before taking everything from them?

 

“Let’s go,” he started walking towards the house but was stopped when Brian sheepishly held out the clothes he had left behind. In his panic he hadn’t even noticed his own nakedness. Thankfully his friends looked away as he quickly got dressed. 

 

He wanted to change back. He wanted to fly and burn Paul until he was nothing but ash and then keep burning. He wanted to hear that conniving sneak scream in agony as his skin melted and his bones charred. 

 

But...he had to be smart about it. 

 

Both Brian and Roger practically had to jog to keep up with his fast strides. He was halfway across the field before Brian managed to grab his arm. 

 

“John!” He gasped, pulling the younger man back. “Stop! We don’t know the extent of the spell or what even is going on. We can’t just go in swinging. We don’t want to hurt Fred.”

 

The anger flared up in his chest so hot he was afraid it would burst from him. Then, with a few short breaths he was able to calm himself somewhat. He wrenched his arm from the other man’s grasp but didn’t continue walking. 

 

“So what do we do?”

 

“We convince Fred that he’s evil. No one has to get hurt,” Brian said softly, glaring at Roger when he scoffed in response. 

 

John pursed his lips and clenched his hands into fists. “Fine.”

 

This time their approach was slower, more calculated. By the time they walked into the house John’s anger had been replaced by a cold numbness. Both Freddie and Paul were seated at the kitchen table, steaming cups of tea in front of them.

 

Freddie looked a bit lost, eyes red rimmed and sad. Then, John saw how Paul’s hand rested on his forearm and clenched his teeth in anger. 

 

“Are you feeling better John?” The false concern made Roger practically growl behind him. 

 

“I know what you are,” the fae raised his eyes at that. “And I know what you’re doing to Freddie.”

 

The djinn frowned at that, looking between the two of them. “John, I’m sorry it went this way but Paul isn’t doing anything to me. He’s helping us reach our full potential. He’s helping.”

 

John swallowed heavily and looked at him, heart falling further when he saw how little of Freddie he actually saw in those dark eyes. “He’s not what you think he is.”

 

“Then what is he?” Freddie sighed. Next to him Paul smirked, clearly still thinking he was winning. 

 

John struggled to find the words. How do you try and convince someone of another’s true nature when they were so far lost? Behind him, Roger sighed and reached forward. With a quick motion he pushed the little sugar jar off the table and onto the floor. 

 

There was a sharp crack and tiny sugar crystals spilled out onto the wood, looking like newly fallen snow. 

 

“What in the hell Rog?” Brian snapped, stepping back from the mess. 

 

John was about to echo his disbelief but then caught sight of Paul. The Irishman went perfectly still, wide eyes locked on the spilled sugar by his feet. 

 

“I read those stupid books,” Roger’s eyes were silver and wild. “I know what they said. Can you believe they call the fae the Good Folk? You as far from good as can be.”

 

Paul inched forward just a bit in his chair, gaze never wandering from the mess on the floor. He let out a groan and then slid onto the ground, hands busily moving through the sugar.

 

“What the hell Paul?” Freddie exclaimed, a deep frown on his handsome face. 

 

“He’s a fae. Fae are compelled to count spilled sugar or salt for some reason,” Roger sneered and Paul’s face twisted into a grimace. “I thought it was bullshit when I read it but apparently not.”

 

“At least it’s not as dirty as what you need to do,” Paul mumbled, nearly all the way through the pile. “And there’s nothing I can do about it.”

 

He finally finished counting and sighed, standing up to his full height. Freddie stared at him, confused and hurt. “Why wouldn’t you tell us? Hell, most of us are supernaturals, we wouldn’t have thought any differently.”

 

“I’m used to it I suppose,” the simpering, self pitying in his voice sparked the anger in John again. “You know how hard it is being the way we are. I have always hidden it and I guess that was just the way I thought it had to be.”

 

This time Brian stepped forward, eyes hard and angry. “Or you lied because it’s hard to tell people you are going to hurt and kill them.”

 

Freddie let out a loud laugh, shaking his head. “So Paul is a fae. I’m a djinn, Roger’s an incubus, and John’s a dragon. Identity doesn’t matter.”

 

“Have you felt more inspired with him around?” Brian asked pleadingly. “Come up with more songs only to feel exhausted afterwards? That’s him.”

 

“So, now my crime is inspiring him to write these beautiful songs?” Paul crossed his arms over his chest and scowled. 

 

John snapped at that. He stepped forward and shoved Paul back. The Irishman stumbled and grabbed the table to steady himself, looking surprised at John’s sudden movement. 

 

“It’s like seasoning a steak I imagine,” he hissed, continuing to step forward so Paul was forced back. “Priming him by getting all these beautiful songs. Then what? Are they grateful when you finally drink their blood? Do they look at you in betrayal?”

 

“John, stop this,” Freddie stood as well, looking wary. 

 

“I imagine he’ll be a meal to last you a while right? With all that talent?” John snarled, still pushing him further into the room. “When would you do it? After this tour I so generously financed?”

 

“I’m warning you,” Paul snarled, a strange feeling in the air surrounding him. “Stop.”

 

“No. You leave this house. Get the hell out,” John shoved him again. “You aren’t entitled to his life because you think you’re his inspiration. He-”

 

Then Paul moved his hand quickly. If John had been paying attention he would have seen nail sharpening into claws. He would have seen the claws slashing towards his throat. Instead, all he felt was burning heat spilling down his chest. 

 

Paul screamed in pain, clutching his hand where the blood was practically boiling the skin. With a wet gasp, John stumbled backwards and fell. The room erupted into complete chaos. Roger tackled Paul to the ground, sharp teeth and claws on full display and Brian raced to the phone to call for help. 

 

“John!” He blinked up at the ceiling, hands fluttering around his throat. “John! Oh God!”

 

Freddie came into view, hissing and pulling away when he touched at burning blood. Tears gathered in his eyes and he hovered awkwardly, not knowing how to help. 

 

“John, please,” his voice cracked. “Please, please. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry.”

 

“Do something Fred,” Brian snapped at him, phone pressed tightly to his ear. 

 

Tattooed hands reached up over the wound and Freddie paused, fear making his eyes bright. “I’ve never...I’ve never done this before. I...I don’t know if I can.”

 

John reached up to gently wrap his hand around Freddie’s slim wrist and gave him what he hoped was a reassuring smile. With a shaky breath, Freddie closed his eyes and the tattoos seemed to ripple. Smoke curled around them and gently brushed against the wound. It felt like he was being bathed in a warm light, pulling him to sleep. 

 

He could feel his skin knitting back together, a strange tickling sensation, and allowed himself to fall under Freddie’s sweet magic. 


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It might be a while before I post again as I am getting married in three days! Ah! I'm excited but it leaves absolutely no time for anything else! 
> 
> Thank you again for your lovely comments, they really make my day!

The spell was broken the moment deep red bloomed across John’s neck and ran down his chest.

 

Freddie could only describe it as being thrust violently from a dream into the waking world. The fog had lifted so quickly that he felt almost dizzy. At first all he could see was Roger and Paul tussling on the ground, trading punches. He stared blankly at them before his eyes drifted to the side and he saw John laying on the ground. 

 

“Oh no,” he breathed, falling to his knees next to the dragon. Steam curled up from the blood pooling around him and Freddie knew if he touched it he would be sporting the same angry looking burns that covered Paul’s hands. “Please John, no.”

 

Bright green eyes locked onto his and John’s hand hovered weakly over the deep slash. Freddie extended a hand, trying desperately to magic the wound closed but nothing happened but a few shadows twisting around his fingers. 

 

“Brian!” He gasped out, looking around wildly. “Brian! Please!”

 

The human quickly knelt down by him, hazel eyes wide. From behind them they heard a sharp shout of pain and then running feet. Moments later Roger knelt by them, red blood smeared around his mouth.

 

“He’s gone,” he panted out. “I bit the motherfucker, tasted like shit.”

 

A near hysterical laugh came from John before he dissolved into coughs and gasps. More burning blood spilled onto the wood floor, singeing it black. 

 

“Brian, I need you to do something for me,” Freddie said sharply, getting a nod in return. “I need you to say these words okay? Just like I am.”

 

“Okay,” Brian breathed. 

 

Freddie tried to say the spell clearly and quickly, still staring down at John’s face which was rapidly losing color. Brian echoed it the best he could and Freddie felt his breath hitch as the magic took hold. 

 

“Good,” he breathed out when the spell finished. “Now, I need you to wish for Deacy to be healed.”

 

“I wish that John’s wounds were healed,” to his credit Brian didn’t even hesitate. 

 

The thrill of magic rushed through Freddie and he let it flow through him. Red sparks flickered at his fingertips and black smoke spun out. It twisted around John’s neck, the wound glowing brilliantly red, and seemed almost to pulse for a bit. 

 

John’s eyes fluttered closed as the skin started knitting itself back together. In just a moment he sagged forward in exhaustion, staring at the swirling black lines now stained along John’s throat. 

 

The dragon’s chest rose with a breath and he closed his eyes in relief. 

 

“Is he okay?” Brian whispered and he nodded. 

 

“Yeah,” Freddie breathed. “He’s fine.”

 

The room was terribly silent for a long, long moment. The reality of the situation came crashing down on him and Freddie felt his breath hitch. The love of his life had nearly died protecting him from a monster. He had nearly let it happen because he was so far under Paul’s spell.

 

“Hey,” Roger’s voice was incredibly soft. “Fred...let’s get him upstairs and into a bed and then you can get cleaned up.”

 

He nodded shakily and stumbled to his feet, watching as Brian scooped John into his arms. There was a dark burn pattern on the floor where John had been and for one hysterical moment he thought about how they were going to have to pay for the damages. 

 

Roger wrapped an arm around his waist, the gentleness horribly juxtaposed by the blood covering his chin and hands. They carefully carried the unconscious dragon to his and Freddie’s bedroom and got him comfortable underneath the blankets. 

 

“Tell me what happened,” he breathed, sitting down on the bed and gently brushing John’s hair away from his face. 

 

“Paul was some kind of vampiric fae,” Brian said softly, eyes locked on their youngest member. “They act as muses, inspiring artists. They feed off talent and use up the artist until there’s nothing else. He would have drained you of everything and then killed you for your blood.”

 

Freddie felt dizzy at that, squeezing his eyes closed. “But how? I’m not human.”

 

“They’re ancient. I don’t know...their magic is old,” Brian shrugged. “But you’re okay and John’s okay.”

 

“No thanks to me,” Freddie laughed bitterly. “I...I was aware of everything going on. I remember thinking you were all against me. God, I  _ hated _ you. The things I said...”

 

“That was him, not you,” Roger snapped. “He had you in his claws and his words were coming out of your mouth. We knew that, John knew that.”

 

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered, chest tight and heart breaking. “I can’t express how sorry I am.”

 

He looked around, still heartsick at what he was seeing. Brian looked exhausted, dark circles under his eyes. Roger still had blood on his mouth from where he had bitten Paul. Silver blood had dried on his cut lip and a glittering bruise stained across his cheekbone. 

 

And John.

 

John looked small and frail in the sheets. The dark curling marks that mirrored Freddie’s own would be there forever, blemishing that smooth throat. God, John had almost died trying to protect him and he hadn’t wanted to be saved. 

 

How could he ever make it up to him?

 

“He’ll be okay Freddie,” Brian placed a hand on his shoulder. “I just wish-”

 

“Don’t!” Freddie spun around, knocking his hand off his shoulder. “Don’t wish!”

 

“What?” Brian startled and Roger stared at him in confusion. 

 

Freddie hesitated and let out a long, long breath. All he wanted to do was curl up next to John and sleep forever but this was a conversation they had to have. 

 

“That spell you said earlier...my magic is fickle. I can do illusions and little things but if I want to do real magic it has to be a wish. The spell I had you cast bound me to you. I can only grant the wishes of my...master I suppose,” he flinched. “So be careful what you say.”

 

The other two stared at him and Roger finally spoke. “Brian is your master?”

 

“In name only! Djinns were meant to be servants, which is bullshit by the way, so you get three wishes. You used one to save John, you have two more,” he said quickly. 

 

Brian gaped at him, eyes wide. “Why the hell wouldn’t you tell us about this? This seems like something important to say!” 

 

“It’s not common knowledge! Why would we want people to know that there is a spell that practically enslaves us to humans?” Freddie spat, this conversation being the last thing he wanted. “I have to grant whatever wishes you want. Just...be careful what you say, I don’t have much choice here.”

 

Brian looked disturbed at his newfound power over Freddie. He glanced at Roger who shrugged, a deep frown on his face. “I wouldn’t take advantage of this.”

 

“I know you wouldn’t,” Freddie sighed and turned back to John. “And I’d love to continue this conversation...I would but...I want to just be with John right now. I want to just be here when he wakes up.”

 

For a moment he thought Brian would argue, would insist on learning more about his new role, but he just nodded and stood. Roger scrambled to his feet as well, an unreadable expression on his face. 

 

“You take care of your boy huh Freddie?” Roger gently took Brian’s arm and started leading him out of the door. “We’ll get downstairs cleaned up.”

 

He managed to hold it together until the door closed. Then, Freddie thought about all that had happened in the last few hours. He had been woken from an evil spell, he had watched John nearly bleed to death, and he had basically given up his freedom to save him.

 

All he could do was hang his head and weep. 


	20. Chapter 20

Roger was on his hands and knees scrubbing at the floor with sharp, angry sweeps of the rags, occasionally stopping to wring red tinted water back into the bucket. 

 

He could hear Brian and Freddie talking quietly upstairs and it only made his anxiety spike. After a moment of his heart pounding in his chest he leaned back on his heels and took in a few deep breaths. 

 

_ It’s fine. John is okay. Paul is gone. Lydia is gone.  _

 

_ Everything is okay. _

 

But it was hard to believe as he stared at the John shaped burn mark on the floor. 

 

He had managed to clean up most of the blood off the floor, scrubbing until the red and silver stains had lifted. There wasn’t much he could do about the burn marks but maybe they could get a carpet or something. Roger poured the dirty water down the sink and stared at the rags for a moment before just throwing it in the trash. 

 

“Hey,” Brian’s voice made him jump and he spun around, hand flying to clutch at his chest. The taller man smiled sheepishly and held his hands up. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”

 

Roger shrugged, leaning against the counter. “It’s fine.”

 

Hazel eyes flicked across his face and Brian stepped forward. He reached up to brush his fingers along Roger’s lip and smiled sympathetically when he winced. 

 

“You’re bleeding,” he showed him the silver tipped fingers. 

 

“Paul got a few good licks in,” Roger smirked and prodded lighty at his tip with his tongue. “But I did better.”

 

Brian chuckled and shook his head. “So you think he’s gone for good?”

 

Something dark curled in Roger’s chest and he nodded. “Absolutely. He’d be a fucking idiot to come back.”

 

And he knew it was true. Roger had always been someone who was prone to acts of aggression but he knew without a doubt he would kill Paul if he ever saw him again. He wouldn’t even hesitate, a thought that should have scared him, but instead filled him with a frightening level of determination. 

 

“John’s going to be alright,” Brian spoke up, clearly wanting to break up the conversation. “Freddie healed him up and he’s just sleeping now.”

 

Roger nodded again. “So, that’s one wish down?”

 

At that the human grimaced and pursed his lips together. “I suppose. It’s uncomfortable though. I don’t like the idea that I have any kind of power over Freddie.”

 

It was kind of a scary thought. If Brian was a worse person he could absolutely use this to his advantage. He could keep a powerful being on a leash and use him to get whatever he wanted. But, Brian wasn’t that person. 

 

“What are you going to wish for? Fame and fortune? For that telescope you’ve had your eye on?” Roger smiled slyly, getting a chuckle in response. “Maybe to have your own hedgehog or badger conservatory?”

 

“No,” Brian rolled his eyes goodnaturedly and then his face went a bit more serious. “I...I was thinking...I might wish for you to be human again.”

 

It was like the world skidded to a stop.

 

Roger could hardly breathe as he stared blankly at Brian. The human shuffled awkwardly and turned his eyes back down to the floor. 

 

“What?”

 

“I was thinking that it would be a good use of the wish you know? It’s something you want and...I want to help,” Brian shrank down a bit. 

 

“It’s your wish. Wish for yourself,” Roger felt a tinge of hysteria rise up in him. 

 

There was a moment where Brian just stared at him, clearly lost. “I am.”

 

“Christ Brian...do you even consider if I want that?” Roger blurted out. “You can’t just make that decision for me!”

 

Brian’s eyes narrowed and he huffed. “I’m not making the decision, I’m having a goddamn conversation with you about it.”

 

His hands clenched into fists and his jaw tightened painfully. “What do you expect to happen? That I’ll be so grateful and run into your arms or something? Am I some kind of fucking rebound off of Lydia?”

 

The human shook his head and threw his hands up in defeat. “Fine, forget it. I’ll just wish for a new car or some bullshit.”

 

He stormed up the stairs to his bedroom and left Roger alone with his swirling thoughts. Roger sucked in a shaking breath and leaned his entire body against the counter, tears burning in his eyes. 

 

God, he wanted to be human.

 

He wanted to be human so damn bad.

 

He wanted to not wake up with the gnawing hunger or have to find people to feed from. He wanted to not feel like he was taking advantage of people in the worst way possible. He wanted to be with Brian.

 

But...it was scary.

 

His life had depended on his classification. He had somewhat embraced it, no matter how much he hated it. Brian had a unique opportunity to get whatever he wanted and it was terrifying to think that he was wanted so badly. 

 

Most people who wanted him were not the nicest people. 

 

For a moment, Roger closed his eyes and tried to imagine what his life would be like as a human. He would lose his magnetism, making it a bit more difficult to draw people in. He would lose his strength and his compelling. He would just be a human.

 

Then, he wouldn’t have to find people, looking for the ones who were a bit lonely or insecure. He would just get to live his life and actually enjoy it. 

 

Was he ready for that?

 

Yes he was. 

 

As quietly as he could, Roger slipped up the stairs and into Brian’s room. The human glanced up from the book he was reading and raised his eyebrows. 

 

“If I agree to the wish then that doesn’t mean we’re together,” he said shortly. “You hurt me. You were hurt. That’s not the best place to be in when you start a new relationship.”

 

“Okay,” Brian nodded, eyes lighting up.

 

“And you’re sure there’s nothing else you want to wish for? I’ve lived this way for a long time and I know that I could live the rest of my life like this,” he shuffled from foot to foot. “And we wait until we know that John is perfectly fine before bugging Freddie with the wish.”

 

Brian nodded quickly, a huge smile spreading across his face. He got to his feet and hovered awkwardly. “I really want to kiss you now.”

 

“No, not yet,” Roger shook his head, feeling a blush rise on his cheeks. He wanted his next kiss to be without the draw of magic. He wanted it to be just them.

 

He would be human. 

 

He could finally be happy with the man he had fallen in love with.


	21. Chapter 21

Waking up was slow and confusing.

 

One moment it felt like he was hurdling towards wakefulness and the next it felt like he was trying to claw his way out of thick syrup. Faint, strange flashes came to him and left him reeling.

 

All John could really focus on was the voice whispering in his ear.

 

_Come now._

_Wake up John._

_God, I’m so sorry._

_If you don’t wake up soon I swear I’ll kill you._

_I won’t do that._

_I need you my bright star._

And it was the voice that finally, finally gave him the strength to climb out of the darkness he had been trapped in.

 

John’s eyes fluttered open to see light streaming through gauzy curtains, warming the room comfortably. A weight to his side made him lazily turn his head to the side and he smiled at the sight of Freddie.

 

The djinn was fast asleep, head pillowed on John’s thigh. His face was adorably relaxed in sleep and he even had a thin line of drool shining on his chin. Even though he seemed dead to the world he still shot awake the moment John’s hand reached to stroke back his hair.

 

“John!” He gasped, jerking forward and running a hand across his chin. His eyes were wide and panicked. “How are you feeling? Are you in pain?”

 

Was he?

 

John remembered the fight with Paul. He remembered the warmth of the blood on his chest and the way Freddie had screamed. He remembered the glow.

 

“Doesn’t hurt,” his voice was scratchy and rough but Freddie sagged in relief.

 

“Thank God, I’ve never done that kind of magic before and…I didn’t know what I was doing,” Freddie’s voice dropped to a whisper. “And…I may have not done it right but…here.”

 

He scrambled off of the bed and grabbed a small hand mirror. A twinge of nervousness settled in John’s stomach at the hesitation Freddie showed before he handed over the mirror. Thin, swirling lines curled around his throat. It looked so out of place that at first John thought it was a joke, something Freddie had drawn on him in marker for a laugh. Then he touched it carefully and there was no smudging or smearing.

 

“You saved me,” he breathed.

 

“Technically Brian did,” Freddie gave him a small smile, looking almost shy. “I can’t do magic on this level without someone making a wish. Brian made saving you his first wish so…I mean, I’m basically the reason you almost died in the first place."

 

Paul.

 

Panic sliced through John’s chest with such an intensity that he was breathless for a moment. “Paul! Where is he?”

 

“Roger scared him off. Chased him out and everything,” Freddie chuckled. “All because I was too fucking stupid to see what was happening.”

 

“He had you in his nasty little claws,” John rubbed at his throat and put the mirror down. “He would have drained you until there was nothing left. It wasn’t your fault.”

 

Freddie didn’t respond but John knew he didn’t agree.

 

He took a few more minutes before pushing himself to his feet, swaying as a wave of dizziness overwhelmed him. With Freddie’s help they managed to get downstairs where Roger and Brian talked softly over bowls of cereal.

 

“Well look who it is!” Roger beamed at him.

 

John smiled weakly and sidestepped the strangely placed carpet in the middle of the floor. “Could hardly sleep with you two yabbering on.”

 

Roger shot him a rude gesture which got a glare from Brian. Just a moment after he had sat down Freddie placed a bowl of cereal in front of him, hovering awkwardly. He managed to relax slightly and sit down himself and the four of them just enjoyed sitting together in silence for a bit, taking a breath after months of insanity.

 

“I have my second wish,” Brian blurted out and Roger squirmed uncomfortably.

 

“It doesn’t have to be now,” the incubus hissed and Brian waved his hand dismissively.

 

Freddie folded his hands in front of him and shrugged. “He doesn’t have a long time to wait. The wishes exist and the magic is just waiting to be fulfilled. Magic left to simmer gets mean, we don’t want that.”

 

A scowl settled over Roger’s face and he leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest.

 

“I want to make Roger human again, can you do that?” John froze with his spoon halfway to his mouth. Brian looked beyond desperate and Roger just stared down at the table.

 

Freddie seemed equally surprised. “I…I don’t know. I mean…knitting some skin together or magicking up some items is one thing. It’s another to change a person’s whole…being.”

 

“See? Can’t do it,” Roger tossed his hair over his shoulder and raised his eyebrows at Brian. “I told you, wish for a nice tour bus or something.”

 

“Can you try? What is the worst that can happen?” Brian lowered his voice.

 

“He could die,” Freddie blurted and everyone froze. “I’m not an experienced magic user. I don’t know if I could…I could…it’s up to him. Will and desire does make magic easier. Do you want that Roger?”

 

The incubus shrugged lightly. “I dunno.”

 

“You said-“

 

“I know what I said Bri,” Roger snapped, eyes narrowing. “But…what if I can’t sing or play the drums as well? What if I lose my stamina for playing? What if…what if the only thing…”

 

He trailed off and stared down at the floor. They didn’t even realize he was crying until a soft sniff was heard and silver dotted the table. Brian made a soft noise and scooted forward, placing a hand on his knee.

 

“What if the only reason you like me at all is because I’m subconsciously giving off magic? What if the moment I’m human again you realize I’m not all that special,” it was an incredibly vulnerable moment for Roger and John didn’t think he would ever see him this open again.

 

Brian reached up to cup his cheek, not caring of the other two men in the room. “I would never. I love you Roger, not what you are.”

 

The blond let out a shaky breath and sighed. “Alright.”

 

“Are you sure Rog, there’s no going back,” Freddie warned, looking nervous. “You’ll be completely human again…hopefully.”

 

“Way to fill me with confidence,” Roger quipped and turned to look at Brian. “I want to. I want to be human again.”

 

The smile on Brian’s face could only be described as radiant.

 

“Okay,” Freddie rolled his shoulders and raised his chin. “So Brian, you have to be completely, absolutely clear with your wish. You say ‘I wish Roger wasn’t an incubus’ and the magic can make him a slug. Got it?”

 

Brian nodded and then turned to look at Roger, taking his hand and then taking in a deep breath. “Freddie, I wish Roger was human again.”

 

The atmosphere in the room changed. It seemed to almost crackle with electricity and Freddie’s eyes narrowed in concentration. He leaned across the table and placed a hand on Roger’s chest, letting the shadows swirl around them and twist in the air.

 

Then…nothing.

 

The smoke cleared and the room settled and nothing had changed.

 

“I feel just the same,” Roger frowned and Freddie slumped in his chair.

 

“I’m sorry…I tried,” he sighed, trying not to look at Brian’s crestfallen face. “I really tried.”

 

And of course, whenever Roger felt any strong emotions they came out in anger. He jumped to his feet, carrying his cereal bowl to the sink. He threw it in and started the water, rinsing it out as he seethed.

 

“Great…great use of a wish Brian. So glad you decided to waste it on me. You-“ then his voice was cut off and he doubled over as if he had been punched in the gut. A raspy cry of pain burst from his lips and Roger fell to his knees, joined by Brian who hovered around him.

 

“Rog? Talk to me,” Brian begged and both John and Freddie hurried over as well. “Roger!”

 

“Christ,” a weak whine was choked out and his entire body shuddered, silver tears starting to run down his cheeks. “Oh God… _fuck_ it hurts. It hurt, it hurts.”

 

“Freddie do something!” John hissed and the djinn stared, wide eyed.

 

“I can’t reverse a wish! The magic needs to do whatever it’s going to do,” Freddie shook his head, tears sparkling in his own eyes. “I’m so sorry.”

 

Again, Roger let out a cry and practically curled up in Brian’s lap. His eyes burned with a terrible light and his cheeks were streaked in silver. Sharp claws dug into Brian’s arm but he refused to move, trying desperately to comfort Roger through whatever agony he was suffering.

 

It seemed to last forever.

 

The screams, tears, and pain continue on and on until they almost couldn’t stand it.

 

Then the light faded and Roger went perfectly limp in Brian’s arms. John’s breath hitched as he stared desperately at the blonde’s chest, only relaxing when he saw the faint rise and fall. Then his eyes flicked up to Roger’s face and saw that he looked exhausted.

 

He saw something else that made his heart jump.

 

“Clear tears,” he breathed. “Roger, you’re crying clear tears.”

 

Clear tears had streaked paths through the silver, almost washing it away. Instantly Roger reached up to wipe at his face and stared in disbelief at his fingertips.

 

“Clearly I’m the greatest djinn ever known!” Freddie crowed, a huge grin on his face. “All hail the powerful Freddie Mercury, the man who can turn a beast into a man.”

 

“Did it work?” Brian asked breathlessly, eyes staring down at Roger. It looked like he didn’t want to get his hopes up but wished more than anything that it was true.

 

Roger still looked like he was in shock, so John had to answer for him. “He’s human. You’re human Rog.”

 

Brian let out a bright laugh, pressing his forehead against a clearly stunned Roger’s. A smile spread across the blond’s face and he reached up to wrap the other man in a hug, burying his face in Brian’s shoulder.

 

A happy laugh burst from John’s lips and he couldn’t stop the goofy grin. This was what he had wished and dreamed of through all of their trials and stress. On those night when he had thought there wasn’t any hope he had prayed for this.

 

They were all where they were meant to be, with the person they loved.


	22. Chapter 22

Brian wasn’t a good sleeper at the best of times. He had a habit of tossing a turning and spending more of his time in the fuzzy half aware state, forever drifting off to sleep.

 

In the days that followed Paul’s departure and Roger turning human he especially struggled. His mind ran at constantly, replaying all the moments with Lydia where he should have realized something was wrong. Then, the guilt of it all would keep him from sleeping. It was his choice that led to all of this mess.

 

He could have been the reason Paul drained Freddie of everything.

 

He could have been the reason John bled out on the floor.

 

It was all because he had forced himself to try and like a woman who wanted him for her own gain.

 

So, Brian had gotten good at trying to distract himself. He tried to name every star constellation, planet, and sun he could think of in order to hopefully lull himself to sleep.

 

_Andromeda_

_Corvus_

_Coma Berenices_

_Pavo_

_Ursa Major_

_Ursa-_

A warm body slid under the sheets next to him and he nearly jumped out of his skin. Brian let out a strangled gasp and struggled with the blankets until soft laughter startled him out of his panic.

 

Roger grinned at him, tongue caught between his teeth, as he chuckled.

 

“You done?” He asked, voice low.

 

“Jesus, you scared the hell out of me,” he pressed a hand to his chest to try and calm his racing heart. “What are you doing here?”

 

The smile faded and Roger shrugged, staring at his hands. A few moments of silence were all Roger needed before he let out an annoyed puff of air. “I didn’t dream when I was an incubus.”

 

“What?” Brian sat up fully, so his back was pressed against the wall.

 

“I never had a dream. I would just fall asleep and wake up…no problem. I had a dream about…well about…it’s stupid. It scared me and I couldn’t sleep,” a faint shiver ran through him and he wrapped his arms around his stomach.

 

“What was the dream about?” Brian scooted a bit closer and Roger pursed his lips before hanging his head.

 

He hesitated for such a long time that Brian thought he would just ignore the question. Finally, he spoke in such a soft voice that he could barely hear him. “I dreamed that you said yes to Lydia and she turned you. You hurt people and…you weren’t you.”

 

Brian placed a hand on his knee and squeezed, hating the look on Roger’s face. The blond turned to look at him and then surged forward to capture his lips with his own.

 

It was different kissing a human Roger compared to an incubus Roger. Their last kiss had been an explosion of fireworks and sizzled with an intensity that bordered on pain. It was an addictive, dark kind of lust that lingered like a drug for days afterwards. This kiss was different. It was like a fire, warming and rolling through him. Brian could feel it spread from where their lips were connected to the tips of his toes.

 

Just as he started sinking into the kiss, Roger pulled back and stared at him with trepidation.

 

“It’s different,” his voice hitched. “I don’t…I don’t think I kissed because I wanted to since I was turned. It feels different and…I don’t know what to do with it. I don’t know how to do this if it’s not feeding.”

 

Brian’s heart fell. “There’s no…way to do it. You just do what feels right.”

 

“I never felt right before,” Roger shivered and closed his eyes. “I never liked it before. I just had to.”

 

He reached up and gently brushed blond hair back away from his face. “You don’t have to now. Hell, you can be celibate the rest of your life if you want.”

 

“Well I don’t want that,” Roger let out a laugh, shaking his head. “But things are different. I don’t feel things as strongly. My senses are dulled, shit my vision is worse by a lot. I look different too. My nose is a bit more crooked, my eyes aren’t the same color as before, and I’m…I’m just less. I’m less pretty, less sure and-“

 

“Stop right there,” Brian interrupted. “You’re absolutely not less. You’re human Roger, for the first time in a long time. You’re going to get tired and you’re going to react to things like a human does. Also, it’s fucking stupid of you to say you aren’t as beautiful. Before, you were gorgeous of course but some of it was artificial. Now, you’re stunning. There’s no magic clouding anything…it’s just you.”

 

A small smile quirked at Roger’s lips and he blushed. “I’m…I’m scared that the magic will fail eventually, and you’ll realize I’m not what you want.”

 

“Never,” Brian reached up to cup his cheek, smiling when Roger leaned into it. “That’ll never happen. We’re going to grow old and grey and wrinkled and I’ll still love you just the same.”

 

“Growing old and grey with you,” Roger’s voice was soft. “I can get used to the idea of that.”


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is it! Last chapter!
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it! Thank you for all your amazing comments! Honestly, they made my day!!

"Have you thought of your last wish yet?" John's sudden question caused Brian to jump high enough that he slammed his knee into the cabinet he was standing in front of. He cursed and turned around, glaring as he rubbed at his knee.

 

"You know, for someone who can turn into a giant fire breathing lizard you can creep up on people really fucking quietly," he grumbled but the dragon didn't even crack a smile.

 

"Freddie's getting stressed," he said simply, worry making his face tight.

 

Brian grimaced, guilt twisting his stomach. After his last wish he hadn't even thought about his final one. He had been completely consumed with making sure Roger was alright.

 

"I have no idea what I'm going to wish," he sighed. "Any ideas?"

 

"Yes," John nodded quickly, clearly waiting for the question. "Wish Freddie human too."

 

"What?"

 

"You are his master Brian. Doesn't that sound kind of fucked up? If you could just say a few words and have control over him what is stopping other people from doing it too? What if someone like Paul does it?" John spoke fast, voice tight and nervous.

 

A cold shiver ran down Brian's spine at the thought. He hated the power he had over his friend but he knew that some people would love that control.

 

"Alright," he nodded. "Then that'll be my wish."

 

"Ooh a wish?" Freddie shouted from up the stairs and John finally cracked a smile, rolling his eyes. Their frontman practically skipped into the kitchen, followed by a sleep rumpled Roger.

 

For a moment, Brian felt his chest warm. Roger's face was a bit blotchy and his hair was a frizzy mess. He looked adorably human.

 

"For you to be human," Brian continued and the smile fell off of Freddie's face. "So no one can control-"

 

"I understand…but I don't want that," Freddie looked a bit awkward, rubbing the back of his neck. "Listen, I appreciate you thinking of me and being all protective, really it's super cute, but I can't."

 

"Freddie," John looked a bit heartbroken at that.

 

"My family was forced from our ancestral home. If I become human than I'll be even more removed from them. I can't…" Freddie frowned down at his feet. "Roger was forced into his life but mine is who I am. It's my family, my history and I can't turn my back on that."

 

John bit his lip but nodded slowly. "I understand but it's dangerous-"

 

"And I've got a dragon by my side that'll burn anyone who tries to take advantage to a crisp," Freddie pressed a sloppy kiss to John's cheek. "In fact, I have an idea of what you could wish for. Wish for John's brooch back…it's my fault it's gone I might as well help get it back."

 

Brian couldn't help but smile at the way John's face softened.

 

"I…"

 

"I wish that John had his brooch back," Brian said quickly, interrupting John midsentence. "That it was back where it belongs and not in the hands of whatever creep Paul sold it to."

 

Freddie held his hands up in a shrug and gave his fingers a little wiggle.

 

Yeah, things were going to be alright.

 

\--

 

July 13th, 1985

Wembley Stadium

 

The trailer they were in was a bit stuffy. Roger had insisted that  smoking with their tiny window open  was the same as smoking outside and of course it wasn't. 

 

Brian understood though, they were all a bit anxious.

 

This was the biggest performance of their career. More eyes would be on them than ever before and the pressure was on. He took a few moments to just breathe, eyes drifting across his friends.

 

Freddie was playing with his sunglasses, eyes narrowed in thought. Over the years he had changed. He didn't wear his long flowy sleeves anymore, instead favoring tank tops that showed off the intricate tattoos along his arms. Their shows were more impressive than ever with his magical displays. Some were stunning and some, like the one that blew Roger off his stool, were a bit…over the top.

 

John had changed as well. He had cut his hair short, revealing the iridescent scales alone his neck. Sometimes, he would even extend his wings and the crowd would go wild. Still a bit shy, John used his platform to show that all dragons weren't like the monsters in storybooks.

 

And Roger had changed as well.

 

He liked to joke that Brian had regrets about turning his human, that he wasn't as pretty as before when he was an incubus. Even though he said it with a wink and a smirk Brian could see the insecurity in his eyes.

 

It was true though, Roger had aged. He had crow's feet and laugh lines, creasing his face every time he smiled. Long blonde hair had been cut shorter and had a few streaks of grey, lighting up silver in the light. His slim body had filled out a bit and Brian could tell he lamented his youth a bit.

 

But, Brian couldn't imagine anyone being more beautiful. The laugh lines and crow's feet were from years of laughing together. His hair was just as soft as ever, feeling like silk when he combed through it with his fingers. His body fit perfectly with Brian's when they lay together, familiar as his own by this time.

 

"Brian?" He blinked a few times and met the blue eyes of his love. "What are you thinking about? You look deep in thought…or like you need the bathroom."

 

"Just thinking about the show," he gave him a small smile and glanced to the door as a stagehand knocked. "And there we are, let's go."

 

Freddie was the picture of concentration, bouncing a bit on his feet as they approached the stage. John looked as focused as his boyfriend, squeezing his hand before pulling his bass on. The ancient brooch pinned onto the neck strap sparkled faintly in the backstage lights. Freddie paused in his preshow routine and lightly ran his fingers along the metal.

 

A hand on his back made him jump and turn his head, smiling at Roger who lightly tapped his forehead with a drumstick.

 

"You have been all kinds of lost in thought," the blonde cocked his head to the side. "Are you okay?"

 

"I'm fine," he smiled and nudged his shoulder with his own. "It's just been a while since we last played together. I guess I'm a bit nervous?"

 

"You're nervous?" Roger laughed, shaking his head. "You're going to go out there and do the same magic you always do."

 

"I'm not magic," Brian rolled his eyes.

 

Roger tapped him with his drumstick again. "As someone who was human and then not and then again I think I know a thing or two about magic. You, my dear, are magic."

 

A flush colored Brian's cheeks and he heard the announcer cheer out their name. Roger waggled his eyebrows, blew a kiss, and hurried after Freddie and John.

 

Maybe they were a bit magic.


End file.
